3,300 unwanted aliens barred entry in 2023

The Bureau of Immigration announced on Wednesday that last year, over 3,300 foreign nationals were refused entry by their officers at various ports of entry nationwide because they were deemed undesirable or did not have the necessary documentation, making them unfit to be admitted into the country.

According to BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco, a total of 3,359 foreign nationals were all excluded in 2023; the majority of those individuals arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Tansingco said that except for those who were denied entry due to minor infractions, such as failure to secure entry visas or procure return tickets, the rest of the aliens who were turned back were blacklisted and banned from entering the country for being undesirable aliens.

According to the BI chief, the bulk of the excluded aliens were refused admission after they were deemed likely to become public charges if they were allowed to stay here.

In immigration parlance, a public charge pertains to an alien whose presence here poses a menace to society or a burden to the government, from whom he could depend for subsistence or support while sojourning in the country.

“As gatekeepers of our country, our officers are duty-bound to see to it that only aliens with legitimate purposes of travel are accorded the privilege to visit the country. Illegal aliens and fugitives are not welcome in the Philippines,” Tansingco stressed.

According to BI records, the list of banned passengers included aliens who were already on a blacklist, registered sex offenders, wanted fugitives, and people who had shown disdain and rudeness towards BI officials, in addition to public charges and incorrectly documented immigrants.

Statistics also show that NAIA 3 accounted for the bulk of the excluded aliens, who totaled 1,603, followed by NAIA 1, NAIA 2, Mactan, and Clark with 1,157, 211, 187, and 143 exclusions, respectively.