A bunch of Afghan nationals landed within the Philippines on Monday for the processing of particular immigrant visas for his or her resettlement within the U.S.
Their arrival comes as a part of an settlement between the Filipino and U.S. governments.
The Philippines agreed in July to quickly host a U.S. immigrant visa processing heart for a restricted variety of Afghan nationals searching for to make America their new residence.
Afghan nationals who landed within the Philippines on Monday got entry visas, in response to Teresita Daza, a spokesperson for the Philippines’ Division of Overseas Affairs.
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Daza stated the Afghan nationals had accomplished in depth safety vetting and undergone full medical screenings earlier than they arrived. She additionally stated the U.S. authorities is masking the prices of their keep within the Philippines, together with meals, housing, safety, medical and transportation bills.
It’s unclear what number of Afghan nationals arrived within the Philippines or how lengthy the visa processing will take, however the Philippines’ guidelines state that visa candidates can not keep for longer than 59 days.
A senior Filipino official stated final 12 months that solely 150 to 300 candidates can be accommodated within the Philippines beneath the “one-time” cope with the U.S. authorities.
The Afghan nationals searching for to resettle in America primarily labored for the U.S. authorities in Afghanistan or have been thought-about eligible for U.S. particular immigrant visas however have been left behind in the course of the chaotic withdrawal of troops and civilians from the nation in 2021, which resulted within the Taliban taking again management of the area.
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Secretary of State Antony Blinken first made the request for the Philippines to host the processing heart to his Filipino counterpart in 2022. President Biden later mentioned the request with Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. when he visited the U.S. final 12 months.
Marcos Jr. has renewed relations with the U.S. since coasting to a presidential election win two years in the past. Almost a 12 months in the past, he allowed the American army to increase its presence beneath a 2014 protection settlement, a transfer that upset Chinese language officers.
The Related Press contributed to this report.