THE DEPARTMENT of Justice (DoJ) said on Tuesday that talks are ongoing with the United States Embassy in Manila for the Philippine government to accept Afghan nationals while they are still processing their US visas.
“Our government is open to exploring that vehicle by which the Afghan nationals who are at risk in Afghanistan would be processed here for the purpose of eventual immigration to the United States,” DoJ Undersecretary Raul T. Vasquez told a press briefing.
“Because the discussion is ongoing, you can say that we are open to the idea of the Philippines being a processing area,” he added, noting that Afghan nationals are given “special immigrant visas” and are not seeking refugee status.
Both parties are ironing out national safety considerations by imposing safety mechanisms.
During President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s state visit to Washington in May 2023, American President Joseph R. Biden brought up the idea of sheltering Afghan nationals for a certain time while awaiting their visas.
The DoJ on Tuesday celebrated the 1st National Refugee Day in its Justice Hall in Manila, affirming the Philippines’ stance in ensuring the welfare of refugees under Presidential Proclamation No. 265 series of 2023 declaring June 20 every year as the “National Refugee Day.”
“Through the very first commemoration of National Refugee Day, the Philippines sends a strong message of our commitment to our long humanitarian legacy of opening our doors and providing support to people who have crossed international borders to seek protection,” Secretary of Justice Jesus Crispin C. Remulla said in a statement.
The Philippines is home to about a thousand refugees, many of which are from the Middle East and African countries. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana
