DFA starts visa interviews for Afghans transiting through PH en route to the US
The agreement between the Philippines and the United States to allow Afghan nationals displaced by their homeland’s conflict to transit through the country while their resettlement to the US is being processed is moving forward.
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesperson Teresita Daza told the Inquirer that “visa interviews are ongoing” for the Afghan nationals.
The US Embassy in Manila, for its part, confirmed that the US is “continuing to implement this agreement in coordination with the Philippine government.”
Earlier in August, the two governments announced that they had reached a deal to allow a limited number of Afghan nationals to transit to the Philippines to complete their visa processing for special immigrant visas (SIVs), which will allow them to resettle in the US.
Daza previously explained that the agreement covered a limited number of applicants for a limited period, with each applicant authorized to stay here for no more than 59 days.
The Afghans would be subject to full security vetting by Philippine authorities and should secure an appropriate entry visa before arrival, per Philippine laws and regulations.
“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,” Daza said.
Read: Escudero: We’ll ask DFA more details on PH housing Afghan refugees
Sustainment costs
Under the agreement, the US government would cover all sustainment costs of the applicants, including expenses for food, housing, security, medical, and transportation, among others.
All applicants will be confined to their billet facility for the duration of the processing of their visa applications by the US Embassy in Manila.
They will have been medically screened in Afghanistan and required to leave the facility only once for their consular interview at the US Embassy.
“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,” Daza said.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo earlier said that the US government formalized its proposal in October 2022 through a “concept note” sent to Philippine Ambassador to Washington Jose Manuel Romualdez.
Manalo said that the Afghans, who would not be considered refugees according to the Department of Justice, would only stay in the Philippines briefly while waiting for the approval of their special immigration visas before flying to the United States.
The Afghan nationals are former and present workers employed by the United States in Afghanistan, and their families who were displaced due to the conflict in their country.
