A group of Afghan nationals landed in the Philippines on Monday for the processing of special immigrant visas for their resettlement in the U.S.

Their arrival comes as part of an agreement between the Filipino and U.S. governments.

The Philippines agreed in July to temporarily host a U.S. immigrant visa processing center for a limited number of Afghan nationals seeking to make America their new home.

Afghan nationals who landed in the Philippines on Monday were given entry visas, according to Teresita Daza, a spokesperson for the Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken initially brought up the idea of the Philippines hosting the processing center when talking with his Filipino counterpart in 2022. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Secretary of State Antony Blinken first made the request for the Philippines to host the processing center to his Filipino counterpart in 2022. President Biden later discussed the request with Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. when he visited the U.S. last year.

Marcos Jr. has renewed relations with the U.S. since coasting to a presidential election win two years ago. Nearly a year ago, he allowed the American military to expand its presence under a 2014 defense agreement, a move that upset Chinese officials.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.