BI signs UN APIS agreement to screen travelers

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) is set to sign an agreement with the United Nations this March for the Advanced Passenger Information System (APIS), which will be operational by then.

Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado announced that APIS will allow the BI to immediately identify travelers with criminal records and prevent their entry into the Philippines based on real-time information about arriving passengers.

Viado stated during a public briefing that the system will collect passenger information in advance, enabling authorities to determine if individuals should enter the country or are subject to international police notices.

The bureau also aims to enhance its intelligence gathering through open sources and uses AI to gather advanced passenger data from various sources.

Commissioner Viado mentioned the need for a new detention facility with more capacity as the current one in Camp Bagong Diwa is congested and can only house 100 detainees.