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MANILA: Afghan nationals entering the Philippines to process their resettlement to the United States will undergo ‘full security vetting,’ the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Tuesday.
The Philippines and the US have reached a deal on the temporary housing of a ‘limited number of Afghan nationals’ while the US Embassy in Manila process their Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs).
The agreement is waiting for the ratification of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. before it becomes effective.
‘All applicants will be subject to full security vetting by Philippine authorities and should secure appropriate entry visa prior to arrival, in accordance with Philippine laws and regulations,’ DFA spokesperson Ma. Teresita Daza said.
‘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,’ she added.
Each applicants, she said, will be
authorized to stay in the Philippines for no more than 59 days.
Under the agreement with the US, the DFA said applicants would be ‘medically screened already in Afghanistan’ and would leave their billet facility ‘only once’ for their consular interview at the embassy.
The US government will shoulder the living expenses of the Afghans, including food, housing, security, medical, and transportation, among others.
The US government, together with the International Organization for Migration as facility manager, would ensure that the applicants, especially the children, have adequate social, educational, religious and emotional support during their stay in the billet facility.
Source: Philippines News agency
