The United States and the Philippines have reached a significant agreement to provide temporary housing for Afghan nationals holding Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) cases until their visa processing is completed.
This agreement, announced by the U.S. Department of State on August 19, 2024, is considered a crucial step in supporting Afghan refugees and former U.S. allies in Afghanistan.
According to the State Department's statement, the agreement allows Afghan SIV holders to be temporarily housed in the Philippines until they receive their visas from the U.S. Embassy. Although further details of the agreement have not been disclosed, this marks the beginning of cooperation that may lead to the temporary accommodation of other asylum seekers, including those with Priority 1 and Priority 2 cases, in the future.
This agreement follows the U.S. State Department’s previous request to the Philippine government to temporarily host Afghan SIV applicants. This request had been under discussion for nearly a year, with limited information leaked to the media.
After the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021, thousands of Afghans who served as local allies and interpreters for U.S. forces were considered eligible for resettlement in the U.S. The United States developed special programs in 2009 to facilitate their immigration to the U.S., with the SIV program being one of the most significant initiatives for these individuals.
However, many of these Afghans faced legal hurdles, complex procedures, and limited capacity within the immigration process, delaying their relocation to the U.S. This situation has raised serious concerns among refugees and human rights advocates, particularly since many of these individuals are enduring harsh conditions in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and other countries.
In the past two months, the U.S. National Visa Center and CARE office have transferred Afghan SIV cases to the Philippines. This move was seen as a precursor to the forthcoming agreements between the U.S. and the Philippines regarding temporary housing for refugees. Most of those whose cases have been transferred to the Philippines have been waiting over two years for relocation to a third country by the CARE team.
The U.S. State Department's statement confirmed that while these SIV applicants are temporarily housed in the Philippines, the U.S. government will provide essential services, including food, housing, security, medical care, and transportation. However, the exact number of SIV applicants to be temporarily housed in the Philippines and the countries from which they will be transferred remains unclear.
This new agreement between the U.S. and the Philippines adds the Philippines to a list of countries such as Qatar, Germany, and Albania, which have previously hosted Afghan refugees eligible for resettlement in the U.S. The agreement comes after three years of U.S. requests for Pakistan to temporarily house Afghan asylum seekers, a request that was met with resistance by the Pakistani government.
Not only did Pakistan reject the U.S. request, but it also implemented strict measures to expedite the deportation of Afghan refugees from its soil. As a result of these measures, thousands of Afghan refugees are being expelled from Pakistan monthly, a situation that has raised significant concerns within the international community.
The agreement between the U.S. and the Philippines to temporarily house Afghan refugees represents a significant step in supporting these individuals, who are living under extremely difficult circumstances in various countries. This agreement will not only help Afghan refugees find a safe place to wait for the completion of their visa process, but it also serves as an example of international cooperation in addressing refugee crises.