MANILA – A bunch of Afghan nationals arrived within the Philippines on Monday to course of particular immigrant visas for his or her resettlement in the USA, as a part of an settlement between Manila and Washington.
The Philippines agreed final July to quickly host a U.S. immigrant visa processing center for a restricted variety of Afghan nationals aspiring to resettle in America.
Division of Overseas Affairs spokesperson Teresita Daza mentioned the Afghan nationals who landed within the Philippines on Monday had been supplied entry visas. She mentioned that they had accomplished in depth safety vetting and undergone full medical screenings previous to their arrival.
The U.S. authorities will cowl the prices for the Afghan nationals’ keep within the Philippines, together with their meals, housing, safety, medical and transportation bills, she mentioned.
She did not specify what number of Afghans arrived or how lengthy the visa processing will take. Below the Philippines’ guidelines, visa candidates can keep for now not than 59 days.
A senior Philippine official informed The Related Press final yr that solely 150 to 300 candidates can be accommodated within the Philippines below the “one-time” deal. The official who had information of the negotiations agreed to talk on situation of anonymity due to an absence of authority to talk publicly.
The Afghan nationals in search of resettlement primarily labored for the U.S. authorities in Afghanistan or had been deemed eligible for U.S. particular immigrant visas however had been left behind when Washington withdrew from the nation and Taliban militants took again energy in a chaotic interval in 2021.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken first relayed the request to his Philippines counterpart in 2022, and President Joe Biden mentioned the request with Philippines chief Ferdinand Marcos Jr. when he visited the U.S. final yr, Philippine officers mentioned.
Marcos has rekindled relations with the U.S. since successful the presidency by a landslide margin two years in the past. In February final yr, he allowed an expansion of the American military presence below a 2014 protection settlement in a choice that upset China.
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Ng contributed from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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