Philippines open to accepting asylum seekers from Afghanistan
The Philippines is willing to accept asylum seekers from Afghanistan, which has been taken over by the Islamist movement Taliban......»»
Philippines announces decisive measures amid tensions with China
Manila [Philippines], March 28 (ANI): Amid the escalating tensions in the South China Sea, Philippine President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr has announced decisive measures to protect his country's sovereignty and maritime rights while ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. Marcos, known as Bongbong, said that the measures, aimed at addressing what he said is the "open, unabating, and illegal" actions by China's Coast.....»»
Refugees in the US Shouldn t Pay the Price for Aid to Ukraine
The Biden administration is reportedly considering accepting mandatory detention of asylum seekers, one of the demands of Republican Party lawmakers to "secure the border" in exchange for passing the administration's supplemental aid bill for Ukraine, Israel, and US border enforcement.The US Immigra.....»»
Record 114 million people now displaced worldwide: UN
The number of people displaced from their homes worldwide is estimated to have exceeded 114 million, the United Nations said Wednesday -- a record figure. The main drivers in the first half of 2023 were the conflicts in Ukraine, Sudan, Myanmar and the Democratic Republic of Congo; a prolonged humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan; and a combination of drought, floods and insecurity in Somalia, UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, said in a statement. "The number of people displaced by war, persecution, violence and human rights violations globally is likely to have exceeded 114 million at the end of September," the agency said. "The world's focus now is -- rightly -- on the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. But globally, far too many conflicts are proliferating or escalating, shattering innocent lives and uprooting people," said UN refugees chief Filippo Grandi. He blamed the international community's inability to solve or prevent conflicts and urged better cooperation to end violence and allow displaced people to return home. Record numbers The number of displaced people worldwide jumped from 108.4 million people at the end of last year to 110 million people by the end of June 2023, the UNHCR said in its Mid-Year Trends Report. A UNHCR spokesman confirmed to AFP the 114 million figure at the end of September was a record since the agency began collecting data in 1975. The new estimate precedes the outbreak of the war between Hamas and Israel. Hamas gunmen poured into Israel on October 7, beginning an attack that killed more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians, while also kidnapping more than 220 others, according to Israeli officials. Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says retaliatory Israeli strikes have killed more than 6,500 people. The number of people internally displaced within Gaza is estimated at about 1.4 million, according to the UN humanitarian agency OCHA. One in 73 displaced More than one in 73 people around the world are forcibly displaced, the UNHCR said. At mid-2023, there were 35.8 million refugees who had fled abroad, and 57 million internally displaced persons (IDPs). Millions more are asylum seekers or in need of international protection. Almost one-third of all displaced people originated from just three countries: Afghanistan, Syria and Ukraine. Low- and middle-income countries hosted 75 percent of refugees and other people in need of international protection. The countries hosting the most refugees are Iran and Turkey at 3.4 million each; Germany and Colombia with 2.5 million each; and Pakistan with 2.1 million. Nearly half of Syria's population remained displaced at mid-2023: 6.7 million people within the country and 6.7 million refugees and asylum-seekers, with most hosted in Turkey. Globally, 1.6 million new individual asylum applications were made between January and June 2023 -- the largest number ever recorded in the first six months of any given year. Of those, 540,600 claims were in the United States, 150,200 in Germany and 87,100 in Spain. "As we watch events unfold in Gaza, Sudan and beyond, the prospect of peace and solutions for refugees and other displaced populations might feel distant," said Grandi. "But we cannot give up. With our partners we will keep pushing for -- and finding -- solutions for refugees." Some 3.1 million people did return home between January and June, including 2.7 million IDPs. The post Record 114 million people now displaced worldwide: UN appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Italian PM admits she hoped to do ‘better’ on migration
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has admitted she had hoped to do "better" on controlling irregular migration, which has surged since her far-right party won historic elections a year ago. "Clearly we hoped for better on immigration, where we worked so hard," she said in an interview marking the win, broadcast late Saturday on the TG1 channel. "The results are not what we hoped to see. It is certainly a very complex problem, but I'm sure we'll get to the bottom of it." Meloni's post-fascist Brothers of Italy party was elected in large part on a promise to reduce mass migration into Italy. But the number of people arriving on boats from North Africa has instead surged, with more than 130,000 recorded by the interior ministry so far this year -- up from 70,000 in the same period of 2022. After 8,500 people arrived on the tiny island of Lampedusa just three days earlier this month, Meloni demanded the European Union do more to help relieve the pressure. Brussels agreed to intensify existing efforts, and this week said it would start to release money to Tunisia -- from where many of the boats leave -- under a pact aimed at stemming irregular migration from the country. Blaming Germany But Meloni's main coalition partner, Matteo Salvini of the anti-immigration League party, has been dismissive of EU efforts to manage the surge of arrivals that he dubbed an "act of war". The League this weekend also condemned Germany for funding an NGO conducting at-sea rescues in the Mediterranean, saying it represented "very serious interference" in Italian affairs. Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, a member of Meloni's party, weighed in on Sunday, telling La Stampa newspaper the move put Italy "in difficulty". "If Germany cared about the fate of people in difficulty and really wanted to help us save lives, they could help ... (with plans) to seriously combat criminals who traffic people," he added in a statement on Sunday evening. Several charity rescue ships operate in the Central Mediterranean, the world's deadliest sea crossing for migrants, although they only pick up around five percent of arrivals to Italy, according to Crosetto. The German foreign office confirmed it was providing between 400,000 euros and 800,000 euros each to two projects, "for the support on land in Italy of people rescued at sea and an NGO project for sea-rescue operations". Protection money While interior minister in a previous government in 2019, Salvini blocked several charity ships from disembarking rescued migrants in Italy, a move that saw him prosecuted in Sicily on charges of kidnapping. Since taking office in October, Meloni's government has restricted the activities of the ships, which it accuses of encouraging migrants while vowing to clamp down on people smugglers. It has also sought to boost the repatriation of arrivals ineligible for asylum, including by building new detention centers and extending the time migrants can be held there. It emerged this week it would also be requiring migrants awaiting a decision on asylum to pay a deposit of 5,000 euros or be sent to a detention center, prompting accusations the state was charging "protection money". The center-left Democratic Party said earlier this week that "on immigration, the Italian right has failed". "It continues on a path that is demagogic and consciously cynical, but above all totally ineffective both in the respect and safeguarding of human rights, and for the protection of Italy's interests," it said in a note. The criticism of Germany comes after Berlin temporarily stopped accepting migrants living in Italy after Rome itself suspended EU rules governing the distribution of migrants. The post Italian PM admits she hoped to do ‘better’ on migration appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
France evacuates five Afghan women ‘threatened by Taliban’
Paris, France — France on Monday was due to receive five Afghan women “threatened by the Taliban” after repeated requests it create a humanitarian corridor for women shut out of public life, an official said. Since returning to power in August 2021, Taliban authorities have imposed a strict interpretation of Islam, with women bearing the brunt of laws the United Nations has labelled “gender apartheid.” Women and girls have been banned from attending high school and university as well as barred from visiting parks, fairs and gymnasiums. They have also mostly been blocked from working for UN agencies or NGOs, with thousands sacked from government jobs or paid to stay at home. French immigration authority chief Didier Leschi told AFP that by presidential order, “special attention is being paid to women who are primarily threatened by the Taliban because they have held important positions in Afghan society... or have close contacts with Westerners.” “This is the case for five women who will arrive today,” Leschi said. The women include a former university director, an ex-NGO consultant, a former television presenter, and a teacher at a secret school in Kabul. One of the women was accompanied by three children. The women had been unable to leave Afghanistan on airlifts to Western countries when the Taliban returned to power in 2021. They fled to neighboring Pakistan where they sought temporary refuge. From there, the French authorities organized their evacuation, Leschi said. Once they arrive in France, they will be registered as asylum seekers and given housing while their applications for refugee status are considered, Leschi said. Leschi said that such evacuations were “likely to be repeated” for other Afghan women with a similar profile. However, Delphine Rouilleault, the head of the France Terre D’Asile NGO working for refugees, said the evacuations were “not the fruit of a political decision” but gained “after a hard fight” to obtain visas for them. The women will be initially housed in a center run by her organization, which has been rallying for months for the evacuation of more Afghan women facing a similar situation. Rouilleault said “hundreds” of Afghan women were “hiding” in Pakistan. In the middle of 2021, French President Emmanuel Macron had pledged that France would “be by the side of Afghans.” French authorities say nearly 16,000 people have been evacuated from Afghanistan since then. An NGO working for Afghan refugees and asylum seekers, Accueillir les Afghanes, in April deplored that Afghan women, especially those who were single, had been largely abandoned and asked Paris to put in place an “emergency” program to take them in. The post France evacuates five Afghan women ‘threatened by Taliban’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DND: No decision yet on Afghan refugees issue
Defense Secretary Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro on Monday said they are still awaiting the legal opinion of the Department of Justice regarding the United States' request to grant some Afghan refugees special immigrant status in the Philippines. In a chance interview, Teodoro said the government is still “carefully” assessing the legality of the request. “Hinihintay pa namin ang opinyon ng DOJ kung ito ay legal at pwedeng pagbigyan o hindi kung hindi maari sa batas ng Republika, ano pa ang pag-uusapan natin? (We’re still waiting opinion from the DOJ if it is legal and can granted or not. If it is not allowed in our law, what we should talk about?),” Teodoro told reporters. Teodoro said the Philippines has yet to craft a formal response to the US’ request, but it has no timeframe. “Lahat ng gawain natin kailangan may legal basis tayo. Hindi puwedeng wala (In everything we do, we must have legal basis),” he said. Teodoro said the matter is yet to reach President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for discussion, as they still need to evaluate if the country has sufficient resources to house the US-backed Afghan nationals. “Bagamat gusto nating tumulong, ay may mga kababayan din tayo dito na nangangailangan din ng tulong, pabahay at pangangalaga (While we want to help, our fellow Filipinos also need help, housing and care),” he said. In a separate television interview, Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez earlier said the country's response to the request may become available on 15 July. “I would think that before the middle of July, we should be able to make a decision. The memorandum for the President’s approval or disapproval, whichever the case may be, will be sent to Malacañang as probably as late as July 15… That is more or less what we are tracking right now from here, from Washington DC,” Romualdez said. Last Friday, Senator Imee Marcos urged Teodoro and National Security Adviser Eduardo Año to explain the US’ request to grant some Afghan refugees special immigrant status in the country. The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations launched an investigation after Marcos filed Senate Resolution 651, seeking an inquiry into the request. Marcos noticed that no data have been made public on the said Afghans' status as legitimate refugees, employees of the US government, or American companies. There's a lack of transparency in the present case," Marcos said, comparing the previous administration's policy of accepting Afghan refugees when the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021, following the withdrawal of American troops. "We need to know the real nature of the agreement between the Philippines and the United States and the course of action the executive branch plans to take," she stressed. The Philippine Immigration Act of 1940 stated that the admission of refugees for religious, political, or racial reasons should serve a humanitarian purpose and not be opposed to the public interest. Meantime, Teodoro noted that the US did not cite humanitarian considerations in its request. "Ito, hindi humanitarian ang hinihingi eh. SIV (special immigrant visa) ito so ibang kaso ito at kahit na humanitarian ang rason, inaaral pa rin ng ating gobyerno ang lahat ng implikasyon (The reason for their request is not humanitarian. This is about SIVs, so it is a different case. And even if it is for humanitarian reasons, the government needs to study all the implications),” he said. The post DND: No decision yet on Afghan refugees issue appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Imee to Gibo, Año: Explain US special immigrant request for Afghans in Phl
“Afghan refugees or American spies?” This was the question raised by Senator Imee Marcos on Friday as she urged the Department of National Defense and the National Security Agency to explain the supposed request of the United States to grant some Afghans special immigrant status in the country. In a statement, Marcos said newly appointed Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro and National Secretary Adviser Eduardo Año should shed light on the matter. She also asked why the US government wanted to house Afghans in the Philippines instead of the American mainland or countries closer to Afghanistan. In her Senate Resolution 651 which she filed on Thursday, the lawmaker called for an inquiry into the real intention behind the US request since no data have been made public on the said Afghans' status as legitimate refugees or employees of the US government or American companies. "During the past year, security and espionage threats have substantially increased because of the sharp escalation in tension between rival superpowers," said Marcos, who chairs the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. In the resolution, she also mentioned a letter dated 5 June by the Presidential Management Staff where the agency held a "Technical Coordination Meeting" with other government agencies to take up the "proposed temporary housing in the Philippines of Special Immigrant Visa applicants from Afghanistan." However, according to Marcos, the government agencies called to attend could not thoroughly discuss the matter because the PMS did not provide details about the meeting other than its general topic, date and venue. She noted that her sources said that the memorandum of agreement was already in the works. "There's a lack of transparency in the present case," Marcos pointed out, comparing the previous administration's policy of accepting Afghan refugees when the Taliban took over their homeland in August 2021 following the withdrawal of American troops. The Philippine Immigration Act of 1940 states that the admission of refugees for religious, political or racial reasons should serve a humanitarian purpose and not be opposed to the public interest. "We need to know the real nature of the agreement between the Philippines and the United States and the course of action the executive branch plans to take," Marcos stressed. The post Imee to Gibo, Año: Explain US special immigrant request for Afghans in Phl appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Government won’t allow entry of terrorists – DOJ
While the Philippines welcomes refugees and political asylum seekers from other countries like strife-torn Afghanistan, the government would have to screen them thoroughly to block the entry of terrorists, the Department of Justice said yesterday......»»
Philippines can take in asylum seekers from Afghanistan — Palace
The Philippines is willing to accept asylum seekers from Afghanistan, which has been taken over by the Islamist movement Taliban......»»
Philippines willing to receive Afghan refugees, asylum seekers
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is willing to accept refugees and asylum seekers from Afghanistan after the Taliban seized control over its capital Kabul, Malacañang said Tuesday. “Since time immemorial po, the Philippines has had jurisprudence even before the convention on refugees welcoming asylum seekers. Sabi nga po ng Korte Suprema, the Philippines will not […] The post Philippines willing to receive Afghan refugees, asylum seekers appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
PNVF forms coaching staff for world meet
Seasoned coach Dante Alinsunurin will make a comeback as one of the deputies for the national men’s team as host Philippines pulls out all the stops to parade a competitive squad against the best of the best in the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championships 2025......»»
US reaffirms support for Philippines sovereignty amid its tensions with China
Washington, DC [US], March 28 (ANI): US Secretary of Defence Llyod Austin has reaffirmed Washington's commitment to Manila in defending its sovereignty while criticising China's "dangerous" water cannon attack at the Philippine supply mission vessel on Saturday. In a telephonic conversation between Austin and his Philippine counterpart Gilberto Teodoro, the US Secretary reiterated the US-Philippines Mutual Defence Treaty.....»»
Contagious pertussis disease continues spreading in Philippines
MANILA, March 28 (Xinhua) -- The contagious pertussis has continued spreading in the Philippines, where it has caused at least 40 death cases, after a province near the capital region reported an outbreak of the disease. In a social media post on Wednesday night, the Cavite government posted a resolution declaring the province under a state of calamity "due to the outbreak of pertussis" after logging 36 cases an.....»»
Philippines’s Marcos pledges action in response to China’s ‘dangerous attacks’
President Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines has issued a strong statement in response to recent confrontations in the South China Sea, stating that the country.....»»
PH media slam Chinese foreign ministry’s claims of manipulating WPS reports
Philippine media groups criticized the Chinese foreign ministry for suggesting that recent reports on Chinese harassment of Filipino vessels in the West Philippine Sea involved video manipulation and sensationalism to portray the Philippines as a victim. The Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (Focap) and National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) expressed offense.....»»
Cebu City declares state of calamity in 28 mountain barangays due to el Niño
CEBU CITY, Philippines – In response to the escalating effects of the ongoing El Niño phenomenon, Cebu City has declared a “state of calamity” in 28 mountain barangays. This decision comes after a resolution was passed with reports of dwindling water sources and agricultural distress, prompting urgent measures to assist affected communities in the city. .....»»
Akbayan to Sara: You don’t have to be president to speak vs China
MANILA, Philippines — Party-list group Akbayan said on Thursday that Vice President Sara Duterte does not have to be a president of the country for her to call out China’s intrusive actions over the West Philippine Sea (WPS). Empathy and a moral backbone is just what it takes to stand up with fisherfolk and frontline.....»»
CCLEX safety enhancements pushed after US bridge tragedy
Cebu City, Philippines — In light of recent events, a call for increased CCLEX safety measures has been made to the Cebu Cordova Link Expressway Corporation (CCLEC) by a Cebu City legislator. Councilor Rey Gealon penned a resolution urging CCLEC to implement precautionary measures at the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway to prevent disasters, considering the high.....»»
Church visits are allowed only until 10 p.m. – Police chief
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Church visits on Maundy Thursday will only be allowed until 10 p.m. the chief of the Cebu City police announced on Thursday, March 28. Police Colonel Ireneo B. Dalogdog, City Director of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) said that the public is not allowed inside religious places past 10:00 p.m......»»
China: PH is ‘straying down a dangerous path’
MANILA, Philippines — China continued to blame the Philippines and its ally, the United States, for the continued tensions in the disputed West Philippine Sea. In a statement on Thursday, Chinese Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Wu Qian warned that the Philippines is going down a dangerous path. READ: No letup in Chinese water cannon attacks.....»»