Immigration tightens screening of Africans arriving at NAIA

MANILA, Philippines—Immigration officers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport have tightened the screening of all African nationals arriving in the country following a recent spate of apprehensions of foreign drug mules at airport.

Ma. Antonette Mangrobang, Bureau of Immigration  spokesperson and acting intelligence chief, said intelligence agents at the airport would now be “closely monitoring” African passengers arriving at the airport.

Mangrobang disclosed that upon orders of Immigration Commissioner Ricardo David Jr., immigration officers will be “doubly vigilant” in inspecting arriving Africans to ensure that only legitimate travelers were allowed entry.

“Those who cannot satisfactorily explain their purpose in coming here shall be turned away and booked on the first available flight to their port of origin,” Mangrobang said in a statement.

She explained that under the law, an immigration officer may deny entry to a foreigner if in his assessment the latter was likely to become a public charge.

Magrobang stressed, however, that immigration officers cannot open and inspect the luggage of travelers since this is the function of customs officers.

She said immigration officers may only examine travel documents and interview and conduct profiling of passengers.

Mangrobang  added that a Philippine entry visa does not give foreigners an automatic right to enter the country as their admission is at the discretion of immigration officers.

In less than a month, NAIA authorities apprehended several suspected drug mules or members of African drug syndicates carrying illegal drugs in their luggage.

The latest involved a Ghanaian couple caught carrying shabu on Tuesday night after arriving from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

On the same day,  the luggage of a pregnant Guinean national, Aisha Camara, 28, also arriving from Abu Dhabi,  yielded 2.7 kilos of shabu.

Camara was earlier denied entry by immigration officers for failing to explain her purpose in coming to Manila.

On February 27, customs authorities intercepted a Kenyan woman, Lina Aching Noah, who also arrived from Abu Dhabi, for bringing in 9.3 kilos of shabu, and on March 3, Ugandan Josephine Balikuddembe, 54, who came from Dubai, was caught with 4.5 kilos of shabu.