MANILA – The Philippines has agreed on allowing a “limited number” of Afghan nationals to transit to the country while awaiting completion of their visa processing for Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs), and resettlement to the United States.
This is after the U.S. requested for the entry and temporary housing for a limited number of nationals, believed to be supporters of the U.S. war effort and employees of U.S. companies in Afghanistan, while awaiting processing of their SIVs.
The request was first made public in 2023, after Sen. Imee Marcos, who chairs the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, questioned why the U.S. is choosing the Philippines, instead of other countries geographically closer to Afghanistan; and highlighted the security risks the agreement may entail.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) clarified though that the agreement will be an “executive agreement” and will not require concurrence of the Senate. It will need to be ratified by the President before it becomes effective, the DFA continued.
In a statement, DFA confirmed that the agreement is currently undergoing “final domestic procedures required for effectivity.”
This was echoed by the U.S. Embassy in Manila, by stating that it is “still discussing the timeline with the Government of the Philippines.”
It is not clear how many Afghan nationals will be accommodated but the DFA confirmed that there will be a “limited number of applicants for a limited period”.
“Each applicant shall be authorized to stay in [the] Philippines for no more than 59 days,” the DFA stated.
The U.S. Embassy also mentioned that the Afghan SIV applicants will “temporarily reside at a CARE (Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts) operated facility in the Philippines.”
“All applicants will be confined to their billet facility for the duration of the processing of their SIV applications by the U.S. Embassy in Manila. The U.S. 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,” the DFA stated.
“All costs for the sustainment of the applicants while in the Philippines will be borne by the U.S. Government. This includes expenses for food, housing, security, medical, and transportation, among others,” the DFA added.
Meanwhile, the DFA gave assurances that all applicants will be subject to “full security vetting” by Philippine authorities, which means they have to secure the appropriate entry visa prior to arrival, in accordance with 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, the DFA said.
The DFA also mentioned that “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 U.S. Embassy in Manila.”
Meanwhile, the U.S. 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.”
