Carrying out a "symbolic partial repatriation" of illegal Filipino residents in the United States, replicating the move of the Indian government, might preemptively appease the looming immigration issues Filipinos might face under the Trump administration.
Asian Center of the University of the Philippines Professor Richard Heydarian has urged the Philippine government to replicate what the Indian government did in order amid the aggressive immigration agenda of US President Donald Trump.
During the Saturday forum in Quezon City on Feb.1, Heydarian said India, which currently has 700,000 illegally residing Indians in the US, was able to negotiate with the Trump administration to voluntarily repatriate around 18,000 illegally residing Indians to show the US that they are addressing the issue.
This can also be carried out by the Philippines, the political analyst said, considering that Manila is a US treaty ally.
"So, isa sa aking mungkahi (one of my recommendations) and I’m very sure that our very good Ambassador Romualdez, is already working on that is baka puwede tayong mag-negotiate rin ng symbolic, partial repatriation, kung sabihin natin mga ilang libo sa ating mga kababayan na medyo hirap na hirap na siguro ngayon sa Amerika (perhaps we can negotiate with the US to undertake a symbolic, partial repatriation of about thousands of struggling Filipinos in the US)," Heydarian said.
Heydarian further said the move would also give the vast majority of Filipinos living in the US, who have yet to secure legal status, ample time to work on their citizenship.
With Trump's promise to solve immigration issues in his country, it is important for the Philippines to have a "partial agreement on that front," the analyst said.
Heydarian also suggested the Philippines must use its leverage on its geopolitical importance friendship with the Trump administration to alleviate the immigration issue.
"So, iyong isang suggestion natin is baka puwede nating gayahin iyong mga ibang mahalagang bansa or mga alyado ng Amerika kung saan ang leverage po natin ang geopolitical importance natin at saka iyong friendship ng ating mga liderato (So, another suggestion is that perhaps we can imitate what other important allies of America, given our leverage of geopolitical importance and the friendship to the US leader)," Heydarian said.
According to Heydarian, there are about 300,000 illegal Filipino residents in the US at present.