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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Senate to hold 'urgent' hearing on Afghan refugees request to stay in PH

Senate to hold 'urgent' hearing on Afghan refugees request to stay in PH

Published Jun 15, 2023 07:12 am
Senators are seeking immediate answers into the purported proposal of the United States to allow some Afghanistan nationals to temporarily stay in the Philippines.  This, after the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, headed by Sen. Imelda “Imee” Marcos, has set a public hearing on the proposed temporary housing in the Philippines of special immigrant visa applicants from Afghanistan.
                     Sen. Imee Marcos (Senate PRIB Photo)


Marcos, sister of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., cited the “significance and urgency of the matter” and converted the supposed executive meeting into a “public hearing” on June 16, Friday at 1 p.m. Senators said they want more details into the matter especially after Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Babe Romualdez stated that the US government’s request only involves their former employees and their families “whose lives are in danger” in Afghanistan. “We want to know more details and how many are they? If we are talking about 1,000, I doubt that would only involve processing them then they will return. That they will just sleep here. Do we need to provide a visa, because we don’t give an automatic visa to Afghanistan?” Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian pointed out in an interview. “If so, what kind of visa do we have to issue for them? So these are the details (we need to discuss). So the hearing would be a good venue to clear up all these things,” Gatchalian stressed.  He said he doesn’t mind the Philippines helping foreign nationals, especially if “they are qualified and have no criminal record and are considered allies of the US.” “My only concern is the cost…why can’t they choose a place that is near Afghanistan? Or anywhere in the Middle East which is much nearer,” he pointed out.  Should they decide to accept the request, Gatchalian said the US should shoulder the expenses of transporting the Afghan nationals to the Philippines.  “We want to know why they have chosen the Philippines? I think that’s the fundamental question that we need to answer first,” he stressed. 







Related Tags

Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian Senator Imee Marcos Afghan refugess Senate foreign relations committee
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