1,000 foreigners seeking asylum in PH
Department of Justice building in Manila —INQUIRER.net/NOY MORCOSO
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice (DOJ) is reviewing about 1,000 requests for asylum from foreigners, mostly from Africa and the Middle East, who are fleeing from persecution.
Chief state counsel Dennis Chan said on Thursday the Philippine currently recognizes about 1,000 refugees who were granted asylum in past years, while another 1,000 individuals are still being evaluated or processed for refugee status.
“The reason for their seeking asylum is the persecution that they are facing in their home country, which can be by reason of religion, race, gender, political opinion or membership in a social group,” Chan said in a press briefing for the launch of National Refugee Day, which is commemorated in the Philippines every June 20.
READ: Marcos worried fugitives using asylum abroad to evade justice
Refugee status
Most of those seeking refugee status come from countries in Africa and the Middle East, he noted. Their applications are being reviewed by the DOJ’s refugees and stateless persons protection unit.
The Philippines has maintained an open door asylum policy since it welcomed about 250 “White” Russians who fled Bolshevik persecution in 1921, followed by a second wave of an additional 6,000 in 1949.
In the 1930s, President Quezon granted asylum to about 1,200 European Jews escaping Nazi persecution.
READ: Philippines: A Jewish refuge from the Holocaust
Maria Ermina Valdeavilla-Gallardo, UN High Commissioner for Refugees national office head, said at the press briefing that the right to seek asylum in many parts of the world is “under increasing pressure” as displacement continues to be at “near-record levels” amid growing conflicts and crises.
“Here in the Philippines, refugees and stateless persons contribute meaningfully to society as entrepreneurs, professionals, students and community members. When given the opportunity, they strengthen communities, enrich cultures, and contribute to inclusive and resilient development,” Valdeavilla-Gallardo said. /cb
