New policies eyed for departing OFWs

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) is “sensitive” to mounting complaints that some of its agents at the airports were unjustly offloading overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and even soliciting bribes from travelers who wanted to be “cleared” for their departure flights.

BI intelligence chief Ma. Antonette Mangrobang said the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking, headed by Vice President Jejomar Binay has already directed the creation of a technical working group (TWG) to study the policies and procedures of the BI in offloading travelers, especially OFWs suspected of being undocumented workers or victims of human trafficking.

Recruiters and OFW groups have complained about overzealous and corrupt BI agents at Ninoy Aquino International Airport and other airports in the country who have been off-

loading travelers even if they have valid visas and overseas employment certificates.

The recruiters said this has left foreign employers angry why their hired workers do not get to them in time or are unable to leave the Philippines.

Mangrobang said the Department of Justice will be the one to convene the TWG to thresh out all the feedback and concerns. She said the TWG would welcome input from OFW and recruiters groups have raised the complaints.

A Saudi Arabia-based OFW group, Migrante Middle East, said the guidelines that would be adopted by the TGW should be “reasonable, fair, and extortion-free.”