At least 80 overstaying Vietnamese nationals surrendered to the Bureau of Immigration to avoid arrest and detention following the bureauí’s declaration of an all-out campaign against undocumented and overstaying foreigners in the country.
Illegal aliens who surrender to the BI will still be investigated and deported, but will not be detained, the bureau said.
Immigration spokesperson Antoinette† Mangorabang is encouraging all undocumented and overstaying aliens to come forward to the bureau to correct their stay in the county or face arrest and deportation.
Most of those who surrendered were working illegally in Binondo, Baclaran and Quiapo as vendors and now considered by the bureau as “indigents.”
Mangorabang said that the Vietnamese Embassy in Manila is coordinating with the bureau for the immediate †deportation of their nationals who voluntarily surrendered.
BI records revealed that there are more than 300,000† undocumented and overstaying foreigners in the country, mostly Chinese, Indians, Koreans, Vietnamese, Americans and Europeans.
Immigration commissioner Jaime Morente earlier said foreigners with spurious documents should report to the bureau’s main office in Manila and voluntarily give up their documents.†
“The immigration bureau is taking a more humane approach to foreigners staying in the country illegally. Those who voluntarily surrender will not face detention. That is our commitment to them,” he said.
The BI assured added some deportation cases can be dismissed if the foreign national can show that he had no intention of violating Philippine laws and policies, including those that govern immigration.