Philippines to mull plan to temporarily host Afghans

Philippines to mull plan to temporarily host Afghans

Philippines to mull plan to temporarily host Afghans

The Philippine Senate’s overseas relations committee will talk about a plan on Friday to briefly home 1000’s of Afghans awaiting resettlement within the United States.

The Philippines obtained a request from the United States in October to briefly host the Afghans, Manila’s envoy to Washington informed CNN Philippines in an interview Thursday.

Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez mentioned underneath the proposal, Afghans who had labored for the US authorities can be issued particular immigration visas to be processed at a facility within the Philippines.

“The information that we so far have received is that there are about 50,000, which includes the families of the Afghan citizens who worked with the United States government.”

A schedule of Senate hearings for Friday famous that the Foreign Relations committee would talk about “proposed temporary housing” within the nation for Afghan candidates.

Contacted by AFP, the Philippine overseas ministry refused to touch upon the plans.

A US embassy spokesman in Manila informed reporters: “We do not comment on ongoing diplomatic discussions”.

“The (US President Joe) Biden Administration remains committed to the thousands of brave Afghans who stood side by side with the United States over the course of the past two decades,” the spokesman added.

US and allied forces pulled out of Afghanistan in 2021 to finish America’s longest conflict, launched after the September 11, 2001 assaults.

Tens of 1000’s of Afghans fled their nation within the chaotic evacuation of August 2021.

Many of those that had labored with the ousted Western-backed authorities arrived within the United States searching for resettlement underneath a particular immigrant visa program.

But 1000’s have been additionally left behind, ready for his or her visas to be processed.

Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers insist no hurt will come to anybody who collaborated with Western powers or the previous authorities, and are encouraging those that have left to return and assist rebuild the nation. —Agence France-Presse

Source: www.gmanetwork.com