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Almost 200 Afghans leave Philippines for the US after visas processed

The Afghans, including many children, arrived in the Philippines on January 6. Details of their numbers and location were kept secret by US and Philippine officials

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Nearly 200 Afghan nationals have been flown to the United States after their special immigration visas were processed in the Philippines as part of an agreement between Manila and Washington, the US 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 US, 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 US efforts to assist Afghan special immigrants.”

The Afghans, including many children, arrived in the Philippines on January 6. Details of their numbers and location were kept secret by US and Philippine officials. Washington covered the cost of their stay in the Philippines.

The Afghans primarily worked for the US government in Afghanistan or were deemed eligible for US special immigrant visas but were left behind when US and NATO forces withdrew from Afghanistan after 20 years of war in August 2021, AP reported.

Outgoing US President Joe Biden discussed the Afghan resettlement issue with Philippines leader Ferdinand Marcos Jr. when he visited the US last year, Philippine officials said. 

In July, the Philippines agreed to temporarily host a US immigrant visa processing center for the Afghan nationals.

A senior Philippine official said last year that the accommodation in the Philippines was a one-time deal.

Pakistan officials meet over Afghans in limbo in Pakistan

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday reviewed the ongoing process of resettling Afghan nationals awaiting relocation to third countries.

In a post on X, issued by Pakistan’s Foreign Office, the “Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar chaired a meeting today (Saturday) on issues relating to third-country relocations of Afghan nationals.”

No further details were given.

However, earlier this month, AFP reported that as of July 2024, at least 44,000 Afghans approved for relocation to western countries were still in Pakistan, awaiting transfer.

This group includes 25,000 destined for the United States, 9,000 for Australia, 6,000 for Canada, 3,000 for Germany, and more than 1,000 for the United Kingdom.

AFP reported that fresh figures on the relocation process were not provided by the FO or other involved ministries. However, the slow pace of relocation since the initiative began in late 2021 suggests minimal progress.

Over the past three years, Pakistan has engaged with the governments that had pledged to resettle these individuals, urging them to expedite the approval and visa processes.

Despite early momentum, the relocation process slowed significantly, leaving thousands in limbo.

In November 2023, Pakistan initiated a drive to expel undocumented foreigners, affecting Afghans. To date, more than 815,000 individuals have been repatriated.

Reports suggesting forced repatriation of Afghans awaiting relocation were denied by Islamabad, AFP reported.

Under international pressure, the government directed law enforcement agencies not to detain Afghans approved for third-country relocation during the crackdown on migrants.

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Pakistan urges global community to block arms flow to militant groups in Afghanistan

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A Pakistani diplomat on Saturday called on the international community to block the flow of modern and sophisticated weapons to militant groups in Afghanistan.

“Terrorist armed groups are in possession of billions worth of illicit arms abandoned in Afghanistan,” Syed Atif Raza, a counsellor at the Pakistan Mission to the UN, told an Arria-Formua meeting of the UN Security Council, convened by Sierra Leone.

“We call upon our international partners to recover the vast stockpile of abandoned weapons, prevent their access to armed terrorist groups and take measures to close this thriving black market of illicit arms,” he said.

Pakistani officials have repeatedly claimed that attacks in the country are planned in Afghanistan and that militants use weapons left behind by foreign forces.

The Islamic Emirate, however, has denied the claim, saying Afghanistan is not responsible for Pakistan’s “security failure”.

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Gandapur says no Afghan refugee will be ‘forcefully’ expelled from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

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Amid rising tensions over Pakistan’s repatriation plans for illegal Afghan nationals, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapour said on Friday that no refugees will be forcibly deported from the province.

“We will not allow any Afghan refugee to be expelled by force from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. We stand firmly against such inhumane deportations,” Gandapur said at a press conference.

The remarks came as the Pakistani government ramps up efforts to repatriate undocumented Afghan refugees and Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders, following the expiration of the voluntary return deadline on March 31, 2025.

“The past situation, where Afghan refugees, including women and children, were stranded at the border, tarnished Pakistan’s image,” Gandapur said, reaffirming the provincial government’s commitment to a dignified repatriation process.

“We are setting up camps for voluntary repatriation, and anyone wishing to return will be helped. However, we will not forcibly expel any Afghan refugee,” he stated.

Afghans holding Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC) — issued by Pakistan authorities and held by 800,000 people, according to the United Nations — face deportation to Afghanistan after the deadline.

More than 1.3 million Afghans who hold Proof of Registration (PoR) cards from the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, are also to be moved outside the capital Islamabad and neighbouring city Rawalpindi.

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IEA has 46 township plans for returnees, minister tells visiting Iranian official

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The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has 46 township plans for returning refugees, Acting Minister of Refugees and Repatriation Mawlawi Abdul Kabir told a visiting Iranian diplomat in Kabul, calling on Tehran to give refugees time to return.

According to a statement issued by the ministry on Saturday, Abdul Kabir said during the meeting that Afghanistan and Iran are friendly neighbors that have many commonalities.

He stressed the need to further develop and strengthen relations between the two countries and said that the frequent visits of high-ranking Iranian officials show that Tehran wants positive and friendly relations with Afghanistan.

Abdul Kabir thanked Iran for its assistance and hosting of Afghan refugees, saying that Iran and Pakistan have been hosting Afghan refugees for the past few decades. He called for more leniency in the treatment of migrants.

He said that the Islamic Emirate is preparing a mechanism to provide legal documents for those migrants whose legal residence in Iran has expired.

In the meeting, Mohammad Reza Bahrami, Iran’s new Assistant Minister and Director General for South Asian Affairs at the Foreign Ministry, invited Abdul Kabir to visit Tehran, and called for repatriation plan to be shared before the trip.

He stressed on the humane treatment of Afghan refugees and appreciated the Islamic Emirate’s initiative to build 46 townships, calling it an important step forward for the return of refugees.

Bahrami noted that there are currently eight million Afghan reguees living in Iran, of whom four million are undocumented or have their residence expired.

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