BI orders 3,000 Chinese to leave Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has ordered nearly 3,000 Chinese citizens to leave the country since January.

The BI said 2,736 Chinese were ordered deported for violating the conditions of their stay in the Philippines, with some of them issued visas upon arrival (VUA). But they failed to leave on the scheduled departure date indicated on the visa.

Under the country’s immigration rules, VUA grantees are not allowed to extend their stay beyond 30 days.

“More than half of those who were ordered to leave were blacklisted while some were unable to leave due to the cancelation of flights amid the pandemic. Those who stayed without sufficient basis were included in the blacklist,” Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said.

The VUA program, a joint project of the Departments of Tourism and Justice, was launched three years ago to attract Chinese tourists and tour groups.

This allows tourists to travel to the Philippines and stay in the country for not more than 30 days, without the need to apply for visas at Philippine consulates in their places of origin.

Morente said VUA arrivals account for only around five percent of total Chinese arrivals in the country.

“Most of those who arrived already secured their entry visas from our foreign posts abroad,” he said.

The BI explained that VUA grantees apply for it through tour operators accredited by the DOT.

The bureau suspended the implementation of the VUA in January in a bid to slow down the arrival of Chinese tourists in the country.

The program remains suspended as the government continues to implement restrictions on the entry of foreign tourists because of the coronavirus pandemic.