The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said its intelligence operatives recently arrested in Iloilo and Antique provinces 16 illegal Indian nationals for working in the country without permits and for being undocumented aliens.
In a statement, Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said the Indians were rounded up in a string of arrests conducted by operatives from the BI intelligence division based in Western Visayas last February 22.
Tansingco said he issued mission orders authorizing the BI agents to conduct the operations following reports received by his office about the alleged increasing presence of illegal Indian nationals in Iloilo and where many residents are allegedly victimized by the aliens’ usurious 5-6 lending racket.
The BI chief said the said the operations signal the start of an intensified drive against illegal aliens outside of Metro Manilla.
“We are intensifying our crackdown against illegal aliens throughout the country, including those who live in the far-flung areas and make a living by engaging in illegal lending activities that prey on our poor countrymen,” Tansingco said.
BI-Region 6 Intelligence officer Jude Hinolan, who led the arresting teams, said 10 of the Indians were apprehended in the towns of Arevalo and Savana, Iloilo while the six others were arrested in San Jose, Antique.
“Our investigation found that all of them were engaged in lending activities without the proper work permits while some of them are suspected of being illegal entrants for failure to present travel documents,” Hinolan said in his report to BI intelligence chief Fortunato Manahan Jr.
After the arrest, the 16 illegal aliens were committed to the BI warden facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City pending deportation proceedings.
Few days left before BI’s annual report deadline
Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Norman Tansingco reminded BI-registered foreign nationals about the annual report deadline on March 1.
The BI reminded foreigners holding immigrant and non-immigrant visas who were issued an alien certificate of registration identity card (ACR I-Card) to present themselves to the bureau for the first 60 days of the year for the annual report, in compliance with the Alien Registration Act of 1950.
Tansingco said that apart from transferring annual reporting operations to more accessible locations, they have put up an online portal for virtual reporting to facilitate compliance for foreign nationals.
The BI has outlined specific requirements, including a completely filled-out online registration accessible via the BI’s e-services website. Reporting foreign nationals must also present their original valid ACR I-Card with valid visas, along with a valid passport.
Exempted from physically reporting to the BI are foreign nationals who are below 14 years old, those 60 years old and above, those mentally or physically incapacitated, pregnant women, and foreigners with medical conditions.
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