BI nabs 5 Chinese in separate operations for working sans visas

A Chinese man who was allegedly found to have been working in the Philippines without a proper visa was apprehended in Zamboanga City, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Wednesday.

Immigration authorities said the 40-year-old foreigner was arrested on February 4 at a cellphone and accessories store that he allegedly manages in Barangay Zone 3.

The Chinese was seen managing the shop and was interacting with customers at the time of his arrest.

However, the BI verified his documents and found that he was petitioned to work in a Quezon City-based company. 

This is a violation of the country’s immigration laws, the BI said.

“The Bureau of Immigration remains firm in its mandate to go after foreign nationals who abuse their stay and violate Philippine laws,” BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said. 

“These enforcement actions are part of our continuing efforts to protect national security and safeguard jobs for Filipinos,” he added.

In a separate operation on the same day, the BI arrested a 57-year-old Chinese in Tabuk City, Kalinga, who was found to have been allegedly managing a commercial establishment.

Records showed that he had overstayed and was engaging in gainful employment without the appropriate visa or permit. He was unable to present valid travel documents and only showed a digital copy of his passport.

In an earlier operation on February 2, BI operatives apprehended three other Chinese men at another commercial establishment in Tabuk City for similar violations, including overstaying, engaging in gainful occupation without proper authorization, working outside the scope of their visa petition, and being undocumented.

They were aged 51, 24, and 28.

The foreigners were transported to Manila for booking, medical examination, biometrics processing, and documentation in preparation for preliminary investigation and possible deportation proceedings. — JMA, GMA Integrated News