BI to pay cost of travelers’ delay

BUREAU of Immigration (BI) funds largely allocated for salary increases will now be used to cover the travel expenses of Filipino air travelers who missed their flights as a consequence of long immigration checks, a congressman said.

“In the 2024 General Appropriations Law, the travel expenses incurred by Filipino passengers who were deferred or denied boarding without a court order shall be charged from the balance of the Bureau of Immigration’s (BI’s) special trust fund account,” Makati Rep. Luis Jose Angel N. Campos, Jr. said in a statement.

Mr. Campos, who is also the vice chairperson of the House appropriations committee, said the “special provision strikes a balance between the right of every Filipino to travel, and the BI’s obligation to enforce immigration laws.”

BI records show that 32,404 Filipino passengers had missed their flights in 2022 due to offloading by immigration officers. But only 472 of them were found to be victims of illegal recruitment or human trafficking.

“Right now, we are still awaiting the guidelines to be issued by the BI, the Department of Budget and Management, and the Commission on Audit with respect to the implementation of the special provision,” Mr. Campos said.

The BI’s special trust fund account is collected from express lane fees and charges.

At present, 60% of the funds are used for the salary increases of regular BI personnel extending their work hours, while 25% is allocated for the salaries of BI contractual personnel. Some 11% is remitted to the National Treasury as income of the general fund. —