The Philippine government is ready to accept refugees from Afghanistan after Taliban took control of the country’s capital, Kabul, Malacañang said Tuesday.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the Philippines “will not hesitate to admit individuals fleeing their homelands because of fear of persecution.”
“Since time immemorial po, the Philippines has had jurisprudence even before the convention on refugees welcoming asylum seekers,” Roque said.
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“So welcome po ang mga asylum seekers sa Pilipinas. Lahat po ng kinakailangan ng kalinga dahil sila po ay pinepersecute sa kanilang bayan, meron po kayong lugar dito sa Pilipinas,” he added.
On Sunday, at least 32 Filipinos were repatriated and were brought to Doha, Qatar where they awaited their flight to the Philippines.
Filipinos in Afghanistan are asked to evacuate after the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) raised Alert Level 4 over the country “due to worsening security situation.”
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In an advisory, the DFA raised Alert Level 4 over Afghanistan, which means repatriation and evacuation of Filipinos in the country is mandatory.
“Alert Level 4 is raised when there is large-scale internal conflict or full-blown external attack. Under this Alert Level, the Philippine Government undertakes the mandatory evacuation of all Filipinos in the area,” the DFA said. (NM)
