A small number of Afghans will be temporarily housed in the Philippines while their applications for U.S. resettlement are processed, according to a joint statement from Manila and Washington, as reported by AFP.
The exact timeline and number of individuals involved remain under discussion, with both governments emphasizing that the program will cover only a “limited number” of visa applicants.
The proposal was first introduced to the public in 2023.
Jose Manuel Romualdez, the Philippine ambassador to the United States, previously stated that approximately 50,000 Afghans, including families of those who worked for the former U.S.-backed government, are seeking visas.
Under the agreement, applicants will stay at a facility managed by the U.S. State Department’s Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts, according to a spokesperson from the U.S. Embassy in Manila. A spokeswoman for the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs added that each applicant must first obtain a Philippine visa and undergo a medical screening in Afghanistan.
The Afghans will be permitted to stay in the Philippines for up to 59 days and will be confined to their accommodation, except for consular interviews at the U.S. Embassy.
The U.S. government has committed to providing all necessary services, including food, housing, security, medical care, and transportation during their stay in the Philippines.
The chaotic evacuation of tens of thousands of Afghans in August 2021, following the withdrawal of U.S. and allied forces, left many who had worked with the ousted Western-backed government seeking resettlement under a special immigrant visa program. While some made it to the United States, many others remain in third countries, awaiting the processing of their visas.
