Nearly 10,000 foreigners denied entry to PH in 2016
The government shares the joys and hopes of our Chinese friends and Chinese Filipinos who have found a root and reason for staying in the country. PRESIDENT RODRIGO DUTERTE
Close to 10,000 foreigners were not allowed by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to enter the country last year as part of its intensified efforts to strengthen border security and thwart the entry of undesirable aliens.
Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said they turned away a total of 9,738 foreign nationals, or 45 percent higher than in 2015.
Chinese nationals topped the list with 2,034 followed by 269 Indians, 179 Vietnamese, 163 Americans, and 119 Indonesians.
Most of the excluded foreigners were intercepted at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), there were also a few who were turned away in the other international airports such as Mactan, Clark, Kalibo, Iloilo, and Davao.
“We were able to stop these unwanted aliens from entering our borders is proof of our continued vigilance in the discharge of our mandate as gatekeepers of the country,” the BI chief said in a statement.
Morente added that most of them were denied entry after they were identified as likely to become public charges or those who is likely to become primarily dependent on the government for subsistence due to his lack of capacity to support his stay in the country, thus making him an added burden to society.
A foreigner may also be refused admission if based on the immigration officer’s assessment his presence here is considered inimical to the national interest or a threat to public health and safety.
Marc Red Marinas, acting BI port operations division chief, said those who were not allowed entry in the country also included those who are in their blacklist of undesirable aliens such as fugitives, suspected terrorists, and convicted sex offenders.
“We also turned away foreign passengers who did not have entry visas and those who failed to procure outbound tickets, which are a basic requirement for foreign tourists,” he added.