MANILA: Up to 300 Afghans were detained in the Philippines on Monday as they were being processed for US settlement, according to Philippine and US leaders.
Last July, the Philippines and the United States reached an agreement that would allow for thousands of Afghans to reside in Manila while their US Special Immigrant visa applications were being processed.
This was done despite the country’s Catholic-majority nation’s local criticism over security and other issues.
According to Teresita Daza, a spokeswoman for the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs,” The DFA issued the appropriate Philippine entry visa to these applicants in accordance with current rules and regulations.”
” All applicants passed rigorous safety checks by Philippine national security agencies.”
A representative from the US State Department, who spoke on condition of anonymity, would only state “up to 300” when describing the quantity involved.
Under the deal, the US government does shoulder the cost of the Afghans ‘ remains in Manila, including food, housing, health care, surveillance and vehicles, the Philippine DFA statement said.
According to a previous US Embassy speech, the Afghans will reside at a service run by the US State Department’s Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Work.
Prior to this, Daza had stated that Afghans may spend no more than 59 days in their homes and would be” confined to their billet facility,” with the exception of official interviews.
The candidates all received clinical monitoring in Afghanistan.
As US and allied troops pulled out of Washington’s longest battle, which was launched following the attacks on September 11, 2001, tens of thousands of Afghans eluded their state in the chaotic evacuation of August 2021.
Many of those who had worked for the ousted Western-backed authorities arrived in the country seeking settlement under a particular immigrant visa program, but hundreds were also abandoned or in third countries, waiting for their visa to get processed.
