The Biden administration plans to bring thousands of Afghan refugees into the U.S., with Justice Undersecretary Raul Vasquez stating the Philippines might serve as a processing area for displaced Afghan citizens.
The Biden administration is considering a plan to use the Philippines as a processing area for Afghan refugees before resettling them in the US, Justice Undersecretary Raul Vasquez announced.
According to a Department of Justice (DOJ) official on Tuesday, the administration is “open to the idea” of the Philippines acting as a “processing area” for Afghan citizens who the fighting in their country has displaced before they are resettled in the United States.
Justice Undersecretary Raul Vasquez informed reporters that discussions about the specifics of a potential accord were still in progress with the US Embassy, a year after a Senate investigation was initiated to address Washington’s request.
“Initially, we discussed [hosting] a few hundred [Afghan nationals] and if it works out, then we’ll accommodate more,” he said.
Vasquez went on to say that the nation’s security was their priority. “The other side wants to fast-track it but we are very careful on this matter because once they’re here, we have treaty obligations and it would be difficult to interfere.”
The discovery was revealed by the DOJ official on June 20, the day that marks the nation’s inaugural National Refugee Day.
According to prior statements made by Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo, the US administration formally presented the plan to the Philippine Ambassador to Washington, Jose Manuel Romualdez, in October 2022 via a “concept note.”
Manalo stated that the Afghans would only remain in the Philippines for a short time as they awaited approval of their special immigration visas from the US, as they would not be regarded as refugees by the DOJ.
Short-term stay
According to Romualdez, the Afghan nationals are American employees who have worked in Afghanistan in the past and present, along with their families.
He claimed that the US government informed him that they would be housed in the Philippines for “two weeks at the most” and that the US government would also cover the cost of their stay.
In a speech given by Vasquez at the event on Tuesday announcing the nation’s first National Refugee Day on June 20, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla stated that the decision represented “our commitment to our long humanitarian legacy of opening our doors and providing support to people who have crossed international borders to seek safety and protection.”
According to the DOJ, there are “a thousand” officially recognized refugees in the Philippines, most of whom are citizens of Middle Eastern and African nations.
The head of the UNHCR office in Manila, Maria Ermina Valdeavilla-Gallardo, stated that by the end of September 2023, over 114 million people would have been compelled to leave their homes owing to persecution, violence, and human rights violations worldwide.
Recently, GreatGameIndia reported that with violent confrontations on liberal campuses, the Biden administration is considering bringing refugees from Gaza to the U.S. This move could provide a haven but also risks escalating tensions similar to those of the 2020 summer of violence.
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