Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Scores of Afghans have left for the US after their visas were processed in the Philippines

The U.S. Embassy in the Philippines says that nearly 200 Afghan nationals have been flown on to the United States after having their special immigration visas processed in the Philippines

Jim Gomez
Saturday 18 January 2025 23:17 EST

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Nearly 200 Afghan nationals have been flown on to the United States after their special immigration visas were processed in the Philippines as part of an agreement between Manila and Washington, the U.S. Embassy in Manila said Sunday.

The Afghans left the Philippines in several groups on commercial flights last week after completing their application process for resettlement in the U.S., according to the embassy spokesperson Kanishka Gangopadhyay.

An embassy statement expressed "deep appreciation to the government of the Philippines for their cooperation and support for U.S. efforts to assist Afghan special immigrants.”

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.

Marcos has rekindled relations with the U.S. since his 2022 election victory and has allowed an expansion of the American military presence under a 2014 defense agreement in a decision that has alarmed China.

The Marcos administration has also broadened military and defense ties with the U.S., Japan and Australia and moved to build stronger security relations with France, New Zealand and Canada to strengthen its territorial defense, including in the disputed South China Sea.

That has dovetailed with the Biden administration efforts to boost an arc of security alliances in the Indo-Pacific to better address concerns over China’s increasingly aggressive actions, including in the South China Sea, the East China Sea and in the Taiwan Strait, that have raised tensions to their highest level in decades.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in