Immigration bureau deports 15 foreigners
THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) deported 15 foreigners last month
thus, decongesting the BI detention cell in Bicutan, Taguig City.
BI Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said 12 of the deportees had been
in jail for more than a year before they were finally sent back to
their country of origin.
Among them were nine Vietnamese fishermen who were detained for a
period of one year and three months for poaching on Philippine
waters.
Aside from the Vietnamese, the deportees included two Liberians, two
Chinese, a Korean, and an Indian.
At present, there are only 77 foreigners detained at the Bicutan
detention center compared to the 160 a year ago.
As part of the bureau's decongestion program, the bureau now
facilitates the deportation of any detainee at the Bicutan jail who
has no more pending cases and whose deportation order has already
become final and executory.
Libanan also formed a deportation unit that is tasked to oversee and
implement the deportation of the detainees.
