The Bureau of Immigration (BI) deported last year more than 3,000 aliens who were found to have violated Philippine immigration laws.
BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said Chinese deportees, who totaled 3,009, comprised the bulk of the 3,219 undesirable foreigners who were sent out in 2020.
“Deported aliens are automatically placed in our blacklist, and are banned from re-entering the Philippines,” Morente said.
He disclosed that many of the deportees were arrested for working without permit, involvement in unauthorized online gaming operations, telecommunications fraud, economic crimes, investment scams, and cybercrime activities.
“We have arrested big batches of aliens in the past years through joint operations of BI operatives with other local law enforcement agencies,” said Morente.
However, the BI chief noted that due to the corona virus pandemic the number of aliens deported last year was lower compared to the more than 6,000 who were expelled in 2019..
Morente revealed that aside from Chinese nationals, topping the list of deportees were 60 Vietnamese, 40 Koreans, 25 Americans, 20 Japanese, 12 Indians, and five Pakistanis.
He stated that the aliens were ordered deported by the three-man BI Board of Commissioners, after finding them guilty of committing various offenses such as overstaying, working without permit, illegal entry, and being undocumented.
Some of them are wanted fugitives whose arrest and deportation was sought by their governments.
The BI official also bared that as of Dec. 22 there were 276 aliens still detained at the bureau’s detention facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City who are awaiting deportation.