Some 200 Afghans had left the Philippines for the United States after the successful processing of their Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs), the spokesperson of the United States Embassy in Manila said on Sunday, Jan. 19.
This photo from the US Embassy in Manila shows arrival of Afghans for the processing of their US Special Immigrant Visas.
“The government of the United States extends deep appreciation to the government of the Philippines for their cooperation and support for US efforts to assist Afghan Special Immigrants,” US Embassy spokesperson Kanishka Gangopadhyay said in a statement.
According to the embassy official, under 200 Afghan nationals arrived in the Philippines last Jan. 6 for the final processing of their SIV applications at the US Embassy in Manila.
“All departed the Philippines for immigration to the United States aboard commercial flights between Jan. 15 and 17,” he added.
Of this number, the spokesperson noted "minors made up around 60 percent."
Under the original agreement between the US and the Philippines, some 300 Afghans will be allowed to process their SIVs in the Philippines, and they would also be allowed to stay up to 59 days as they wait for their visas.
"While the planned number was 300, some prospective participants dropped due to medical issues, their decision to withdraw from the program, or other considerations," Gangopadhyay said in a Viber message to reporters.
The US State Department had earlier clarified that the Afghan nationals were not refugees.
Rather, they were individuals and families with whom "the United States government has had long, extensive, and secure cooperation,” Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesperson Ma. Teresita Daza earlier said.
Manila was chosen as a temporary site for the SIV processing because of the size and capacity of its visa center.
The Afghans, including many children, arrived in the Philippines on Jan. 6. Details of their numbers and location were kept secret by U.S. and Philippine officials. Washington covered the cost of their stay in the Philippines.
The Afghans primarily worked for the U.S. government in Afghanistan or were deemed eligible for U.S. special immigrant visas but were left behind when U.S. and NATO forces withdrew from Afghanistan after 20 years of war in August 2021 as the Taliban seized power.
At the time, the Taliban takeover exposed Afghan supporters of U.S. forces to potential retaliatory attacks by Afghanistan's new rulers.
Outgoing President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump have blamed one another for the chaotic pullout of U.S. forces.
Biden discussed the Afghan resettlement issue with Philippines leader Ferdinand Marcos Jr. when he visited the U.S. last year, Philippine officials said. In July, the Philippines agreed to temporarily host a U.S. immigrant visa processing center for the Afghan nationals although there were concerns over security due to threats faced by some of the Afghans trying to flee from the Taliban rule.
A senior Philippine official said last year that the accommodation in the Philippines was a one-time deal. (With AP)