(FILE) Bureau of Immigration INQUIRER PHOTO/ ALEXIS CORPUZ
MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Wednesday said more than 3,000 illegal foreigners were deported from the Philippines in 2021, even amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Based on the data provided by the BI’s Deportation and Implementation Unit (DIU), a total of 3,142 undesirable foreigners were deported from January to November 2021.
The majority of the foreigners or 2,875 were Chinese nationals, while 90 were Koreans, 81 were Vietnamese, 27 were Japanese, and 19 were Americans.
According to BI-DIU head Atty. Victor Andrew Siriban, the BI also deported 3,219 aliens in 2020, many of which have been arrested for being fugitives from justice, undesirable, or were overstaying.
Meanwhile, BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said that despite the pandemic, the BI will continue to deport aliens who have violated the Philippine Immigration Act.
“The pandemic will not be a hindrance in cleansing our country of these illegal aliens,” said Morente.
“Foreigners who blatantly violate our laws will be deported and blacklisted,” he added.
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