A total of 3,359 foreigners, mostly undesirable aliens, had been barred from entering the Philippines in 2023, Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said on Wednesday, Jan. 24.
“As gatekeepers of our country, our officers are duty-bound to see to it that only aliens with legitimate purpose of travel are accorded the privilege to visit the country. Illegal aliens and fugitives are not welcome in the Philippines,” Tansingco said.
BI records show that the bulk of the excluded aliens arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 with a total of 1,603 foreigners. At NAIA Terminal 1 there were 1,157; NAIA Terminal 2, 211; Mactan-Cebu International Airport, 187; and Clark International Airport, 143.
BI 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.”
It said "the bulk of the excluded aliens were refused admission after they were deemed as likely to become public charges if they are allowed to stay here."
"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," it explained.