BI proposes amnesty for .5 M illegal aliens

MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Immigration wants to grant amnesty to 500,000 illegal and undocumented aliens, BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said yesterday.

He said under the amnesty program, an illegal alien would have to pay P25,000 for each year they overstayed in the country.

Morente said the amnesty proposal is a win-win situation for the government and for the illegals since some of them are giving protection money to unscrupulous BI personnel and police officers.

“Right now, paying for their protection is costing them more. If these foreigners go through the process and pay their correct taxes to government they would have peace of mind... On the side of government, it will earn more revenue,” he said.

Morente hopes Malacañang would approve the amnesty proposal, which has been submitted to the Department of Justice.

Morente said about 500,000 foreigners – mostly Chinese, Indians and a few South Koreans – have been illegally staying and working in the country in the past number of years.

“Some of them became undocumented because their passports were cancelled,” he said.

Most of the illegal Indians are engaged in business, while the Chinese seek employment in stores, mining companies and restaurants, he added.