BI takes note of issues for departing nationals.

[Jollygoodfellow]

Looks like someone is listening to issues for a change but in defense of the BI there are things going on that the average Filipino would have no idea about, more so those who have no worldly experience so they try to protect them from themselves. 

Immigration agents to clean up airport act amid much flak

Backlash over the “ridiculous and frivolous” demands of immigration officers on some Filipinos traveling abroad has prompted authorities to revisit departure formalities for passengers being screened for human trafficking.

The Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (Iacat), of which the Bureau of Immigration (BI) is a member, is in the process of revising procedures “to better reflect current trends and plug the gaps” and “minimize the inconvenience” on passengers, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Thursday.

In a statement, the DOJ said existing protocols by BI personnel in screening outbound travelers were in line with the bureau’s mandate to protect Filipinos from human trafficking and other dangers.

The statement was in response to a number of Filipinos who had aired their grievances on social media about immigration officers asking what seemed to be irrelevant questions or demanding purportedly unnecessary documents, causing them to be offloaded or to miss their flights.

In one viral TikTok video, a woman said she missed her flight to Israel and had to book new tickets in December last year as a result of a lengthy interview with an immigration officer, who at one point asked for her yearbook and graduation photo.

Overly enthusiastic’
The case of Cham Tanteras drew public outrage, with Senator Grace Poe describing the requirements sought by the “overly enthusiastic” BI officers as “ridiculous” and “obviously frivolous.”

On March 16, the BI issued an apology “for the inconvenience this may have caused the Filipina passenger and other Filipino passengers.”

But in the same statement, the bureau insisted that “the issue of human trafficking and illegal recruitment is real and is happening every day.”

The immigration agency later said the officer who interviewed Tanteras had been relieved from frontline duties and reassigned to a back office.

At a recent Senate hearing on human trafficking, Senator Raffy Tulfo raised many complaints his office had received from travelers about immigration personnel asking for school records, bank statements, health certificates, and even barangay clearance.

On March 24, Senator JV Ejercito urged the Senate to investigate the BI’s questionable procedures and the “unprofessionalism and inefficiency” of its officers.

According to the DOJ, the Iacat acknowledges and understands the plight of the many Filipinos who were inconvenienced by departure protocols.

“As we empathize with the disruptive effect these may have caused to the public, let us not overlook the fact that there is a bigger problem we need to address as a country: human trafficking,” the DOJ said, as it appealed for the public’s patience and understanding.

It added that the BI had taken steps to investigate any excessive or inappropriate behavior of some immigration officers. “Rest assured, the abusive behavior which goes beyond the mandate of the officers will not be tolerated and will be appropriately and strictly dealt with,” the DOJ added.

‘Well-traveled’ victims
It cited fresh challenges in distinguishing regular passengers from potential trafficking victims, noting that a new recruitment scheme involved educated, professional, tech-savvy, and well-traveled Filipinos being lured to work in regional call centers linked to online scamming and other fraudulent activities.

“The profile of these victims poses a challenge to our implementation of the departure formalities as many of them do not share the vulnerabilities of traditional victims of labor trafficking, such as those Filipinos exploited as domestic workers in the Middle East or fishers in the Asia-Pacific region,” the agency said.

From January to February alone, the BI deferred the departure of 6,788 of more than 1 million Filipinos who exited the country’s international airports, the DOJ said.

Incomplete documents
Of this number, 57 were referred to Iacat as likely victims of human trafficking, while the rest were deferred for other reasons, such as incomplete, improper or misrepresented documents.

Last year, according to BI data, a total of 32,404 Filipinos were delayed or barred from departure, of whom 472 were found to have been victims of trafficking or illegal recruitment, 873 misrepresented themselves or presented fraudulent documents, while 10 were minors attempting to work abroad.

Tier 1 rating
The DOJ also noted that as a result of stringent screening, the Department of Foreign Affairs reported a significant drop in the number of calls for assistance from Filipinos in the region involving likely victims of human trafficking.

The country has maintained its Tier 1 status in the United States Trafficking in Persons Report for seven consecutive years. A Tier 1 rating means a government has fully met the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and has demonstrated serious and sustained efforts to combat the crime.

In Southeast Asia, only the Philippines and Singapore were listed under Tier 1 last year.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1750465/immigration-agents-to-clean-up-airport-act-amid-much-flak

[BrettGC]

12 minutes ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

‘Well-traveled’ victims
It cited fresh challenges in distinguishing regular passengers from potential trafficking victims, noting that a new recruitment scheme involved educated, professional, tech-savvy, and well-traveled Filipinos being lured to work in regional call centers linked to online scamming and other fraudulent activities.

When does personal responsibility come into play with these types who by definition can make their own informed decisions?

The balance between protection of citizens and being an over-bearing nanny state is a difficult one.  One which most nations fail. 

 

[Old55]

Although there have been some minor positive changes Philippines continues as a third world totalitarian/kleptocracy. I don't expect it to change in my lifetime. 

What do others here think, is there real hope for change?

[Jollygoodfellow]

8 minutes ago, BrettGC said:

When does personal responsibility come into play with these types who by definition can make their own informed decisions?

The balance between protection of citizens and being an over-bearing nanny state is a difficult one.  One which most nations fail. 

 

True but if you read a lot of what is found out before they allow departure then you can get a picture of how people are duped into doing something they did not know they were getting into and could become victims.

Let's think about a province Filipino, that lacks internet or any worldly insight. Has the dream of making millions of pesos so are easy targets for scammers. Think again of the education of many people here and think about how easily they could be coerced into making decisions that more educated people might see through. 

So informed decisions may not always be the best for everyone. 

[Jollygoodfellow]

5 minutes ago, Old55 said:

What do others here think, is there real hope for change?

In recent years seen so many changes. For example who would have thought you can get internet speeds of 200 Mbps in this country?  A few years back it was not even thought of. 

What about your first visa extension now online?

Tap your phone and a taxi arrives to pick you up and no cash is needed. 

Slowly but surely moving forward. Many other examples but you get the picture. 

[BrettGC]

2 minutes ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

True but if you read a lot of what is found out before they allow departure then you can get a picture of how people are duped into doing something they did not know they were getting into and could become victims.

Let's think about a province Filipino, that lacks internet or any worldly insight. Has the dream of making millions of pesos so are easy targets for scammers. Think again of the education of many people here and think about how easily they could be coerced into making decisions that more educated people might see through. 

So informed decisions may not always be the best for everyone. 

My point wasn't directed at the typical wide-eyed provincial types, I believe the protections in place are appropriate if enforced correctly and not over-zealously.  

[mountainside]

28 minutes ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

is there real hope for change?

For the lives of expats, the Philippines has been on a good trend that I'm hopeful will continue.  But for the Philippines' endemic problems of poverty, lack of education, and deeply embedded corruption, I'm not optimistic that they will gain on their ASEAN neighbors.

[BrettGC]

10 minutes ago, mountainside said:

For the lives of expats, the Philippines has been on a good trend that I'm hopeful will continue.  But for the Philippines' endemic problems of poverty, lack of education, and deeply embedded corruption, I'm not optimistic that they will gain on their ASEAN neighbors.

I agree, infrastructure is improving at a rate faster than I anticipated, a few years ago who would've thought global ratings would have put PI higher than many western countries with regards to internet.  

Corruption is the main thing stopping the country going forward.  It's so ingrained and the people for the most part believe everything they see in all types of media so are susceptible to the denial.  Willful ignorance?

[mountainside]

19 minutes ago, BrettGC said:

Corruption is the main thing stopping the country going forward.

Philippines doesn't look so good in comparison with the other ASEAN countries.  https://www.statista.com/statistics/651015/most-corrupt-countries-asean-region/

[Freebie]

Used to travel around Asia frequently back  in my working days  and I enjoyed having pleasant female company along for those trips.

Absolutely no issue if I invited a Thai lady. She had ticket, passport , was over 18 and breezed through the airport.  Exactly the same for Malaysian lady. Exactly same for Indonesian lady. And exactly same for HK lady. Not a question, problem or even a concerned look.  I tried 3 times to have Filipinas join me.  3 times ensured they had return ticket, copy of hotel reservation etc etc.. 3 times each lady was knocked back by some BI Nazi questioning them until " oh sorry maam , you missed the plane ".

So whats different in those other countries compared to here.  Oh yes Philippines gets paid a large grant, by US  in aid to be in Tier One category of Anti Human trafficking. Sad for Filipinas who could and should be legitimately traveling. Only time I ever left Manila with a Filipina was to Malaysia and she was already 32. Not a question asked.