BI subjects foreign pilots, crew members to inspection

THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) has started subjecting foreign pilots and other crew members of airlines that operate international flights in the country to inspection upon their arrival and departure.

BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said the inspection is part of the government’s effort to strengthen border security operations.

Before, Morente said foreign airline crewmen were allowed to just breeze through the airports’ immigration counters.

“We have to ensure that these alien crewmen are indeed bona fide employees of the airlines they represent and that they are not included in our blacklist of undesirable or wanted aliens,” the BI chief explained.

He added that the new policy is also consistent with existing international standards and recommended practices of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Under the new guidelines issued by Morente, all crew members of commercial airline flights are required to line up at the designated immigration counter for arrival and departure formalities and present their passports or airline identification cards for inspection.

The immigration officer may deny the admission or defer the departure of a crew member, if warranted, such as when the latter is on the blacklist, watchlist or hold departure list of the bureau.

Prior to their arrival or departure from the airport, airline representative shall submit two copies of the general declaration (Gendec) of the inbound or outbound aircraft.

Atty. Ma. Antonette Mangrobang, BI spokesperson, said that despite the new policy the six-month rule on passport validity and visa requirements for visa-required foreign nationals still do not apply to foreign airline crew members.

Mangrobang also clarified that the new policy requiring airline crew members to undergo routine immigration inspection also applies to Filipino pilots and flight attendants of international flights.