The Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has rubbished reports that said Manila struck a pact with the US to host Afghan refugees in the Southeast Asian country.
"There are many issues involved in that question. That is why I was a little surprised when I saw some of the news reports saying there's a deal [with] the U.S. There is no deal. We are still looking exactly at how to make it work, if we can," Marcos told reporters in Manila.
The Philippine President's comments about the issue came after US President Joe Biden's administration urged Manila to take a portion of Afghan nationals under its wings.
Why Settling Afghan Refugees Is Important For the US
These Afghan refugees were previously contracted by the American security forces during their 20-year stint in the war-torn nation before US forces withdrew from there after signing the Doha accord with the Taliban*.
These Afghans and their family members have been given special immigrant visas (SIV) by the American embassy as they feared persecution by the Taliban over their close association with US forces who fought the hardline Islamic group during their two-decade stay in Afghanistan.
Thousands of Afghans and their dependents were evacuated by the US and its NATO allies during a massive airlift program from Kabul two years ago when Afghanistan's capital was captured by the Taliban, who now rule the impoverished nation.
Thousands of Afghans and their dependents were evacuated by the US and its NATO allies during a massive airlift program from Kabul two years ago when Afghanistan's capital was captured by the Taliban, who now rule the impoverished nation.
Security Concerns For Manila
In this light, Marcos hinted that the Afghans were America's responsibility and that his country had nothing to do with it.
"These are Afghans who helped the Americans in war. And the Americans suddenly left their country, and left them. The truth is, they are really being killed by the enemy. But these are not refugees. This is something different, this is something we have not encountered before," Marcos added.
Marcos then stated that there would be many security issues if Manila decided to move ahead with the deal.
"Of course, we have to be conscious of that. But there are even more difficult legal and logistical issues," he concluded.
* under UN sanctions for terrorism