BI wants law against illegal departures

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) is urging Congress to pass a law that specifically penalizes illegal departures from the Philippines, especially those using unofficial routes.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony M. Viado stated that criminalizing illegal exits would serve as a strong deterrent to human traffickers and prevent victims from accepting such illicit offers.

Currently, the Philippines lacks a specific law against illegal departures, with such cases often falling under related violations like falsification of public documents or tampering with passports.

Viado's appeal follows the recent repatriation of 206 Filipinos from Myanmar who were forced to work in scam hubs, with 54 of them reportedly having left the Philippines through unofficial channels.

The BI chief believes this is likely just a small fraction of the problem and emphasized the urgency of addressing it to protect more Filipinos from syndicates.

He also commended the recent arrest of two suspects, one identified as a recruiter among the repatriated individuals, and another arrested in Zamboanga who allegedly facilitated illegal departures using small boats.