Marcos: No deal yet on accepting Afghan refugees in PH

PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. clarified on Thursday, June 29, 2023, that there is no deal yet in relation to the request of the United States (US) government for the Philippines to cater to Afghan refugees in the Philippines.

In an interview with reporters, Marcos said the Philippine government is “still looking exactly how to make it work if we can,” noting that there are many issues involved, especially in terms of the country’s security.

“This is something different; this is something we have not encountered before,” Marcos said.

“They are Afghans who are being resettled primarily in the United States, and we are going to be the third country, that is the proposal of the United States. We will continue to study. Let’s see if there is a way we can do it without endangering the security of the Philippines,” he added.

The US government is requesting for the Philippine government to allow Afghans that had worked with the US in fighting the Taliban to temporarily stay in the country while they process their Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applications at the US Embassy in Manila.

They will shoulder all the expenses of Afghan refugees.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said President Joe Biden has personally raised the matter to Marcos during his recent trip to the US. (SunStar Philippines)