PH, US reach deal on temporary relocation of some Afghan refugees

The Philippines has agreed to a United States request to allow the entry and temporary housing of limited number of nationals from Afghanistan, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Tuesday.

Under the arrangement with Washington, the DFA said the US government "is supporting necessary services for those Afghans temporarily in the Philippines, including food, housing, security, medical, and transportation to complete visa processing" before resettlement to the United States.

"The agreement is currently undergoing the final domestic procedures required for effectivity," a DFA statement said. 

In Washington, the State Department thanked the Philippine government for supporting Afghan allies of the United States and that it "appreciates its long and positive history of bilateral cooperation with the Philippines."

Afghan nationals, said to be US supporters, will be staying temporarily in the country until such time their Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) are issued for resettlement to the United States.

Details were not provided on the exact number of Afghans who will transit to the Philippines.

Citing the Philippines’ historical tradition of providing sanctuary to refugees in the past, Philippine Ambassador to Washington Jose Manuel Romualdez earlier said the US sees the country as a place “they can trust and will do such humanitarian act” of allowing them to process all of these people who worked with the US government in Afghanistan.

The arrangement was finalized three years after the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan.

“These people and their families might be in danger in act of reprisal,” Romualdez said, adding “the most logical place is a trusted ally like the Philippines.”

The US request was first made public in 2023 after Sen. Imee Marcos, sister of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., sought an inquiry to ensure transparency on the agreement.

Sen. Marcos expressed concerns that agreeing to the US request will open the Philippines to “substantial risk” from “individuals who pose a threat to national security and public safety.”

Romualdez said the agreement is “not a refugee issue, but a processing issue.”

“It’s more of a legal matter,” he said. 

Foreign Affairs spokesperson Teresita Daza said the agreement covers a limited number of Aghan applicants for a limited period and shall be authorized to stay in Philippines for no more than 59 days. 

"They will be subject to full security vetting by Philippine authorities and should secure appropriate entry visa prior to arrival, in accordance with Philippine laws and regulations," Daza said.

"Notwithstanding the possession of a Philippine visa, the Bureau of Immigration retains full authority to exclude any applicant from entry into the Philippines as a result of the standard immigration examination upon arrival in the country."

All applicants will be confined to their billet facility for the duration of the processing of their SIV applications by the US Embassy in Manila, Daza said but did not disclose location of temporary accommodations.

Meanwhile, the US government, together with the International Organization for Migration as facility manager, will ensure that the applicants, especially the children, will have adequate social, educational, religious and emotional support during their stay in the billet facility.

All applicants will have been medically screened already in Afghanistan and need to leave their billet facility only once for their consular interview at the US Embassy in Manila, Daza said.

The agreement is an executive agreement, meaning it will only need approval of President Marcos before it becomes effective.  —KBK, GMA Integrated News