Bureau of Immigration. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/ ALEXIS CORPUZ
MANILA, Philippines — Thirty-seven Chinese nationals illegally working in the country were arrested by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) in Parañaque City.
According to the BI, the Chinese nationals were arrested inside Multinational Village in Parañaque on Tuesday afternoon.
BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said the foreigners were arrested after his office received a report detailing that they were working illegally inside the subdivision.
READ: 7 Chinese nationals illegally working in Batangas quarry arrested
“We received credible information about foreign nationals engaging in illegal retail activities, and our team acted swiftly to address these violations,” Tansingco said in a statement.
“This operation is part of our ongoing efforts to uphold the integrity of our immigration laws and protect local businesses from unfair competition,” he added.
READ: Palace vows ’full force of the law’ vs illegal Chinese workers in PH
The group of arrested individuals comprised 7 females and 30 males, all found to be involved in food retail, groceries and restaurants in the area.
Tansingco said all 37 will be detained in the BI’s facility inside Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig pending resolution of the deportation cases to be filed against them.
“The Bureau of Immigration will not tolerate illegal work practices and will continue to take necessary actions against those who violate our laws,” the commissioner said.