MANILA — Terminal heads and supervisors of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and other airports have been directed to implement strict immigration assessment on foreign and local travelers during the All Saints’ and All Souls’ holidays this week.
This is part of the BI’s “Oplan Undas” which will last until Nov. 4, in a bid to stop human trafficking syndicates here and abroad that are reportedly planning to take advantage of the holidays to bring their victims in and out of the country.
According to BI Port Operations Division chief Grifton Medina, the order follows the instructions of Justice Secrertary Menardo Guevarra and BI Commissioner Jaime Morente.
“We have received intelligence reports that human traffickers and illegal recruiters will be sending many of their victims to travel abroad this week. They are mistaken if they think we will lower our guard during the peak season,” he said in a statement issued on Monday.
Medina noted that members of the bureau’s newly-reshuffled Travel Control and Enforcement Unit were instructed to conduct secondary inspection on departing Filipinos with doubtful purpose of travel.
“Most of the time, trafficking victims are instructed by their recruiters to disguise themselves as tourists to attempt to leave the country,” he said.
“I have ordered our immigration officers to conduct strict departure formalities to protect our fellow Filipinos from being victimized by unscrupulous individuals who only wish to earn at the expense of others,” the BI official added.
At the same time, Medina also directed immigration officers manning the airports to be stricter in clearing foreigners to make sure that their visas and other travel documents are valid and genuine, noting that foreign syndicates might take advantage of the influx of tourists and attempt to sneak in illegal aliens pretending to be legitimate tourists.
“Illegal aliens with fake documents will definitely be caught. Our immigration officers are highly-trained to detect fraud, plus we have state-of-the-art equipment to ensure the protection of our borders,” he said, adding that several foreigners were caught this month presenting bogus passports and visas.
Meanwhile, Medina said some 100 members of the Bureau’s Border Control and Intelligence Unit at the NAIA were reshuffled as part of measures to prevent corruption at the airport.
The group is composed of BI intelligence officers and agents whose main task is to monitor and closely watch arriving and departing passengers, apprehend suspected illegal aliens and trafficking victims, and enhance border security. (PR)
