THE recent repatriation of 11 Filipinos who left the country through illegal routes to seek work abroad exposed gaps in border security infrastructure, prompting the Bureau of Immigration to warn job seekers not to leave through the country’s back door. The case of the Filipinos and the arrest of 10 foreigners for various offenses have renewed calls to overhaul the Philippines’ aging border security system, with lawmakers warning that the 85-year-old Philippine Immigration Act can no longer keep pace with modern security threats.
Legislators had been pushing for sweeping reforms, arguing that outdated immigration systems leave the country vulnerable to human trafficking, illegal migration, terrorism and transnational crime.
On June 16, authorities repatriated 11 Filipinos from Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, after they bypassed legal departure procedures to seek work overseas.
Six of them took jobs in the construction, mechanical and maritime sectors after leaving through illegal routes. Viado said that most of them received no salary.
Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said the case illustrates the dangers faced by Filipinos who circumvent legal departure procedures in pursuit of jobs abroad.
He warned that illegal recruiters continue to lure workers with false promises of employment while persuading them to evade government safeguards designed to protect overseas Filipino workers.
BI operatives arrested 10 foreigners in General Luna, Surigao del Norte, for alleged immigration violations. Those arrested included four Israelis, two Chinese nationals, a Lithuanian, an Australian, a Moroccan, and a Nigerian accused of overstaying or engaging in unauthorized employment.
The two incidents have intensified calls to modernize the country’s immigration system, which still operates under the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940.
Sen. Francis Pangilinan, who filed Senate Bill 1867 to strengthen and modernize the BI, said a pre-war legal framework is no longer adequate to address today’s security challenges.
Former speaker Martin Romualdez, meanwhile, has championed the BI Modernization Bill, saying it will not only improve the travel experience but also significantly strengthen border security.
Sen. Raffy Tulfo has likewise pushed for tighter monitoring of immigration data and maritime entry points, warning that seaports remain more vulnerable than airports and could be exploited for illegal entry and smuggling, including through dredging vessels.
To address these gaps, the BI is reviewing the proposed P10.74-billion Civil Aviation and Immigration Security Services (Caiss) project under a public-private partnership.
