Two Africans have been stranded at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2 for nearly two years now.
They were identified as Johnson Emmanuel Josiah, 42, from Liberia, and Alain Njogho Acha, 32, from Cameroon.
According to airport authorities, the two Africans refused to go home for unknown reasons.
Acha arrived in NAIA terminal 2, on April 4, 2019, as a transit passenger from Bangkok after he was not allowed to enter Japan.
Josiah arrived on April 21, 2019, via Philippine Airline flight PR-383 from Guangzhou, China.
The two stranded foreign nationals are seeking asylum in the Philippines. However, the Department of Justice denied their request.
According to Bureau of Immigration spokesperson Dana Sandoval, BI has turned over the custody of these two Africans to the airlines which have now the responsibility to put them on the next flight going to their countries of origin.
Sandoval added the foreigners were resisting efforts to board the plane and making a scene that could endanger other passengers.
“Every time we tried to board the plane the two Africans they always make a scene and become unruly and it is too risky for other passengers on board,” airline staff said.
2 Africans refuse to go home; stranded at NAIA for 2 years
On October 4, 2019, Josiah was supposed to depart via Kenya Air but he refused to board and became unruly.
The two Africans were staying at the NAIA Terminal 2 transit lounge and Philippine Airlines has been accommodating them since they arrived.
In July 2020, a European tourist finally returned home after being stranded at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) for over 100 days.
Roman Trofimov said in a Facebook post on July 3 that he arrived in the country via AirAsia on March 20. It was three days after the government placed the entire Luzon under enhanced community quarantine.
A report on Metro said Trofimov had a connecting flight to Cebu and a return flight to Bangkok on April 2, but they were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trofimov finally returned home on July 7. AirAsia coordinated with the Estonian Consulate General in Manila to arrange Trofimov’s flight.