Immigration agents rounded up 21 Chinese nationals caught working in two malls in Baclaran without proper working permits.
BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said the operations against illegal Chinese workers was made following complaints that several foreigners were working inside the said malls without working visas.
“They will be deported for violating the conditions of their stay in the country and for engaging in gainful activity without the necessary permits,” the BI chief said.
He said the foreigners continued to sell at the malls even after BI agents raided the same establishment more than a month ago and arrested several illegal foreign vendors.
“These illegal aliens are brazenly working out in the open, violating immigration laws and steal jobs from Filipinos,” Morente said.
“We will not stop hunting them down and sending them out,” he added.
According to BI acting intelligence chief Fortunato Manahan Jr., 12 of the Chinese vendors were arrested at the One Shopping Center while nine others were rounded up at the nearby Two Shopping Center, both located in Baclaran, Pasay.
Manahan said that most of those arrested are in the country as mere tourists or temporary visitors while some could not even present their travel documents.
He stated that the aliens seemed to be “taking advantage of the holiday rush” by selling retail goods.
They are presently detained at the BI detention facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City pending deportation proceedings.