BI bars over 3,500 aliens

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) in the first ten months of 2018 has denied entry to over 3,500 foreign nationals whose presence in the country is considered to be detrimental to national interest.

In a report to Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente, BI Port Operations chief Grifton Medina disclosed that a total of 3,528 aliens of various nationalities were barred in ports nationwide.

Medina said that as expected, most of the aliens, or nearly 3,000 of them, were turned away at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) while the rest were intercepted in the airports of Mactan, Clark, Kalibo and Davao.

“These aliens were turned back after conduct of secondary inspection by our immigration officers. They were properly assessed and thereafter were found to be unfit for admission into our country,” Medina added.

Morente warned foreigners who have ulterior motives in coming to the Philippines to think twice as they will not escape the watchful eyes of immigration officers in the ports of the entry.

It was gathered that 1,508 Chinese nationals topped the list of excluded aliens, followed by 262 Indians, 151 Americans, and 138 Koreans.

Among the barred foreigners are registered sex offenders, fugitives, suspected terrorists and previously deported aliens who tried to re-enter the country.

Statistics also show that about three-fourths of the excluded aliens were seen as persons without visible means of financial support and whose purpose in coming here are suspect.

Likewise turned back were foreigners who were rude and disrespectful towards immigration officers.