Fact check: Duterte says no undocumented Filipino workers deported from China

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte told reporters on Tuesday in Bohol that authorities should exercise caution in its crackdown of Chinese nationals working illegally in the Philippines.

Duterte pointed out that there are also thousands of illegal Filipino workers in China, but claimed in Filipino that “they [China] did not deport anyone.”

According to Chinese Exit and Entry Law, foreigners illegally entering, staying, or working in China "may be deported." The law further states that "those who have been ordered deported but cannot be deported immediately will be detained."

Last May, 33 Filipino and Indonesian maids working in mainland China were reportedly sent back to their home countries, according to a report from the Asia Times.

This was even after China had expressed willingness to open its doors to Filipino domestic workers earlier this year, after a longtime ban on the hiring of foreign domestic helpers.

"They [illegal Chinese workers] should be deported but in the same manner, you should be careful because when you point at the Chinese, you’re also pointing at yourself. There are so many thousands of Filipinos working there, [who] went inside China as tourists and [started] working there," Duterte said Tuesday evening.

The Asia Times reported that the police in January uncovered a human trafficking ring where a Chinese woman was arrested for illegally recruiting foreign domestic helpers in the cities of Hangzhou, Jiaxing and Jinhua.

At least 27 Filipino domestic workers were sent back to the Philippines in that particular bust.

While Duterte agreed that illegal Chinese workers should be deported, he warned that the issue should be treated “carefully.”

The president made the statement following the hearing on the influx of Chinese workers led by the Senate committee on labor, employment and human resources development on Monday.
 
According to the Department of Labor and Employment, only about 50,000 Alien Employment Certificates were issued for Chinese nationals working in the country. But committee members Senators Joel Villanueva and Franklin Drilon said that between 200,000 and 400,000 Chinese nationals may be working in Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations companies.

Sen. Grace Poe, during the hearing, said that she wanted agencies to crack down on workers in the country without a permit.

"Immigration, DOLE, should go to these sites. Surprise inspection. If they see that they don't have proper permits, they should be arrested and deported," she said.

Foreign domestic workers 'not allowed'

Senior Filipino diplomat and Consul General Julius Flores said in 2017 that there is a demand for foreign domestic helpers in China. However, he noted that "it is not allowed" in the country.

In a GMA report, he said that most Filipinos working as household helpers in China are mostly overstaying workers whose contracts and visas have already expired.

On average, domestic workers can earn between P29,000 and P44,000 in mainland China.  

Filipinos caught trying to work illegally in China can face fines up to P37,000 and arrest while awaiting deportation back to the Philippines.

According to the DFA, there are at least 12,000 Filipinos working in mainland China, a number significantly less than the 170,000 Filipinos in Hong Kong, where foreign domestic workers are allowed.