‘Hello, Afghans, goodbye’
A few days before the inauguration of the second Trump presidency, around 200 Afghan nationals quietly left the Philippines for the United States.
Those Afghans, who had been in Manila for only less than two weeks, had to be spirited out of the country after completing the processing of their special immigrant visa (SIV) applications.
Manila was their penultimate stop on an arduous journey that took them from their impoverished homeland in Afghanistan, located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia, to the land of freedom, security, and opportunity on the other side of the Pacific.
The US SIV processing program in Manila was planned to last for 100 days, with all SIV applicants leaving the Philippines by March this year.
“Just under 200 Afghan nationals arrived in the Philippines on Jan. 6 for final processing of their SIV applications at the US Embassy in Manila. All departed the Philippines for immigration to the United States aboard commercial flights between Jan. 15 and 17,” the US embassy said in a statement on Sunday. Since 2009, the SIV program has been aiding in the resettlement of Afghan nationals who had worked with the US government or its contractors during the US’ 20-year-long war in Afghanistan. After the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, these American Afghan allies were left behind.
“Deep appreciation.” Whatever the reason for their hasty departure from Manila, it must have been compelling. Still, the US embassy “extends deep appreciation to the government of the Philippines for their cooperation and support for US efforts to assist Afghan Special Immigrants.”
On Jan. 20, the Trump administration suspended the US Refugee Admissions Program “until such time as the further entry into the United States of refugees aligns with the interests of the United States.” It was later revealed to the public (Jan. 22) that SIV holders are exempted from the indefinite refugee ban, but the uncertainty in the days leading up to the inauguration might have caused sleepless nights for our Afghan “visitors.”
Sights and sounds. But we would have liked our transiting Afghan guests to have had time to soak up the sights and sounds of our country.
Having lived in a landlocked country, they would be curious enough to explore our archipelago. Our guests, 60 percent of whom are minors, could have built sandcastles on the white sand of El Nido, Coron, Panglao, and Boracay, and enjoyed the natural wonders of our country. Did they have ample servings of our famous mangoes and bananas while here? If they had stayed longer, they could have tried our lanzones, rambutan, jackfruit, star apple, and durian.
Afghans, or any foreign refugees, deserve the best of our hospitality, even if only to soothe their despair after experiencing a brutal war not of their own choosing for more than two decades.
Had they come at a better time, they could have dropped by Puerto Princesa, Palawan, once home to around 1,500 Vietnamese who found refuge there after the fall of Saigon, the capital South Vietnam, in 1975. To this day, Viet Ville remains a symbol of Filipino hospitality and tolerance. The Chao Long, banh mi sandwich, and fresh baguettes at Viet Ville’s restaurant are must-haves.
While in Metro Manila, they could have visited Quezon City (formerly part of Marikina), where the Commonwealth government under former president Manuel Quezon housed Jewish refugees fleeing the Holocaust from 1935 to 1941. (see “Wartime haven for Jews in Marikina remembered,” News, 4/17/15)
Moral victory. But since we can’t turn back the hands of time, perhaps we can extend this hospitality to the other 100 Afghans whose SIV applications have not yet been processed in Manila.
The US embassy, under the leadership of Ambassador MaryKay Carlson, had the foresight to obtain clearance from the Philippines earlier to allow up to 300 Afghans into the country.
These refugees belong to between 40,000 and 60,000 Afghans who cannot return to their homeland, where their lives or freedom may be threatened under Taliban rule due to their association with the US, including as military interpreters.
Our sense of humanity calls on us to treat Afghans, or any persecuted people group, with compassion, dignity, and respect that they deserve. Providing succor to anyone seeking refuge, albeit temporarily, is the least that we can do as members of the human race.
Former Israeli ambassador to the Philippines Ephraim Ben Matityau once said that by welcoming persecuted people, “the Philippines in many ways earned a moral victory which could be the highlight of your national pride.”
The Israeli embassy also noted in 2015 that the Jews during the Holocaust were looking “for a beacon of hope to escape certain death, but shelter was hard to be found and hearts, like doors, were shut. In all that darkness, a ray of hope came unexpectedly from a remote place of the world—the Philippines.” Amen to that.
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For comments: mubac@inquirer.com.ph
