Countries have right to protect borders, PH, US envoys say amid Trump deportation push

America’s top diplomat to Manila and the Philippines’ envoy to the United States on Tuesday said countries have the right to secure their borders and keep their respective nationals safe amid deportation incidents happening in their countries.

While stressing that the US does not specifically target Filipinos, US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson said all countries are charged with keeping the safety and security of their people through maintaining border security.

“The Philippines does the same thing,” Carlson said at a forum. “I just got a letter yesterday from someone who was denied entry, an American citizen, a 76-year-old veteran was denied entry into the Philippines and turned around and sent back to New York.”

Carlson also mentioned an incident involving several Filipino cruise ship workers who were recently deported for allegedly violating US anti-child pornography laws. They have denied the allegations and said they were framed.

“These things happen,” she said. “Every country must ensure border security and the Trump administration has made very clear that if you violate our laws, if you do not comply with the terms of your visa, then you will be expelled.” 

Since returning to the White House, US President Donald Trump has been toughly enforcing immigration laws and ordering the mass deportation of illegal migrants, one of his top campaign promises.

According to the Philippines' Ambassador to Washington Jose Manuel Romualdez, the Philippines is “doing the same thing here right now” and had been conducting a crackdown on foreigners staying in the country illegally.

“We had a meeting with the Bureau of Immigration recently and we’re going all out and trying to get rid of a lot of aliens. They are here in the Philippines, illegally or with fake passports or fake visas,” he said.

On the other hand, the Philippine Embassy in Washington DC is committed to help Filipinos needing assistance on immigration issues “within legal parameters,” he said.

The US Homeland Security, according to Romualdez, assured him that illegally staying Filipinos facing deportation will be returned directly to the Philippines and not be banished to a third country.

Romualdez urged Filipinos who entered the US illegally or have overstayed their tourist visa to leave voluntarily to avoid very troublesome immigration ordeals.

The US is currently offering undocumented nationals $1,000 and a free plane ticket to their home countries if they will self-deport, he said.

Carlson, meanwhile, said US law enforcement agencies are working closely together to ensure that “we keep the protection of our citizens at the forefront.”  

Border protection, she said, is crucial as it bars anyone “who would seek to do harm to the Philippines, the people of the Philippines or the people of the United States.” — BM, GMA Integrated News