Philippines Agrees to Host Afghan Refugees Applying for US Visas

The Philippines has agreed to a U.S. request to temporarily host “a limited number” of Afghan nationals being processed for resettlement in the United States, the State Department said on Monday. The two treaty allies have reached a deal to allow Afghans to transit through the Philippines while completing their special immigrant visas to the United States, the department said. Under the agreement, the U.S. government will temporarily provide “necessary services” for Afghans staying in the country, including food, housing, security, medical, and transportation. “The United States appreciates its long and positive history of bilateral cooperation with the Philippines and thanks the Philippine government for supporting Afghan allies of the United States,” the State Department said in a statement....