THE new travel rules to be imposed by the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) may not reduce the incidence of human trafficking, but will affect the tourism department’s efforts to improve international and domestic tourism, according to migration expert Emmanuel Geslani.
“Aside from presenting the usual travel requirements, Filipino travelers may need to present more documents before they could go past the immigration desk, including financial capabilities, birth certificates, and several others,” Geslani said.
The new guidelines will be implemented on Sept. 3, 2023, allowing Bureau of Immigration (BI) officers to “exercise subjective judgment, whims, and discretion” on outbound passengers.
“IACAT should realize that with four million OFWS all over the world their families can now afford to travel abroad and visit tourist destinations in the region like Hong Kong, Bangkok or even Japan,” Geslani said.
Meanwhile, the Migrante International, an organization of Filipino migrant workers, said the new travel policies will only burden ordinary travelers and overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) instead of effectively combating human trafficking.
“This new policy is misguided and violates Filipinos’ right to travel,” Migrante chair Joanna Concepcion said.
She said the revised travel guidelines will result in “increasing the element of arbitrariness in immigration officials’ decisions and even corruption,” she added.
Geslani said BI officers have been known to be arbitrary in questioning passengers, especially those Filipino travelers going abroad for the first time.
The IACAT said the guidelines will mostly apply to first-time travelers, who may be traveling as tourists but are profiled to have intentions to seek work abroad.
Around 95 percent of travelers are required to present only these basic documents: valid passport; valid visa, depending on the destination; boarding pass; confirmed return ticket, when necessary.
Self-funded travelers may now need to provide documents such as proof of accommodation abroad, proof of employment in the Philippines, and proof of their financial capacity or source of income.
Travelers being sponsored by relatives or others abroad may have to show birth or marriage certificates, among other documents, that show their relationship to the sponsors. A notarized affidavit of support and guarantee is among these documents.
Travelers sponsored by a non-relative or a juridical entity, such as a company, may be asked to show a notarized affidavit of support and guarantee, as well as a document showing the relationship between the passenger and sponsor.
Overseas Filipino workers will need to show their OFW clearance from the Department of Migrant Workers – a longstanding requirement usually interchangeable with the Overseas Employment Certificate – along with supporting documents, such as their work permit and employment contract.
Meanwhile, AirAsia Philippines expressed support to the government’s stricter departure procedures set to be fully enforced on Sunday.
“We fully support the government’s intensified drive against human trafficking and understand the wisdom of our partners in its implementation to create a safer travel landscape for all,” said AirAsia Communications and Public Affairs head Steve Dailisan.
“In fact, we too are strengthening awareness and training measures among our Allstars (employees) as part of our robust efforts to prevent and clampdown on trafficking across air travel,” he added.
Dailisan said as a key airline bridging connectivity across the Philippines, ASEAN, and beyond, “the airline remains dedicated to continually engaging all our stakeholders as we collectively work towards improving the travel and tourism industry and serving the best interests of every Filipino.”
To combat the rising number of victims of human trafficking, the IACAT initiated the harsher departure policy.
The updated regulations allow immigration agents to ask pertinent clarifying questions and request additional supporting documentation from departing travelers in addition to checking basic travel paperwork.
The secondary inspection shouldn’t be longer than 15 minutes unless unusual conditions call for a longer period of inspection.
The secondary inspection officer’s interview will start when the 15 minutes are up.
The DOJ assured that the revised guidelines would not curtail the constitutionally guaranteed right of the people to travel “but will serve as a protective bulwark shielding our fellow citizens from the dire perils of human trafficking.”
The revised guidelines will take effect on September 3.