2 foreigners stranded in NAIA for almost 2 years

Two foreigners have been stranded at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) for almost two years, according to a report on “State of the Nation.”

The two Africans were identified as Emmanuel Josaiah Johnson from Liberia and Alain Njogho Acha from Cameroon.

Johnson and Acha have been staying at the terminal lounge of the NAIA Terminal 2 since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic hit the country to avoid being infected with the illness.

They arrived in the Philippines in April 2019.

Johnson and Acha, however, failed to apply for asylum in the country, according to the Bureau of Immigration.

Due to this, they were turned over to the Philippine Airlines (PAL) for deportation.

The flag carrier said the foreigners were scheduled to leave in October. Johnson, however, refused to board the plane while Acha was still waiting for a clearance from the country of his origin.

PAL is shouldering the food and accommodation expenses of the pair in the transit lounge.

Based on data of the United Nations Refugee Agency, since 2015 more than 1,400 refugees sought asylum in the Philippines. Most of them are from Syria, Yemen, and Cameroon. -- Joahna Lei Casilao/BAP, GMA News