48 Pinoys expelled from China due to visa violations

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is urging all Filipinos in China to comply with the visa restrictions there to avoid arrest and expulsion from the Asian giant.

In a statement on Friday, the DFA said the Philippine Embassy in Beijing has initiated an information campaign reminding all Filipinos in China to observe and comply with the conditions and restrictions of their visas to avoid arrest, prosecution, detention, deportation and blacklisting.

The campaign was a response to the new report that about 200 foreigners including 48 Filipinos were expelled from China last year.

"The Filipinos were apprehended and detained for holding spurious Chinese visas or forged passports, working without proper employment visas and permits, assuming false identity, and overstaying in the country," the DFA said.

The agency added that some of the Filipinos were arrested for illegally entering China then using it as jumping-off point for travel to other countries.

The information campaign of the Philippine Embassy in China aims to increase the Filipinos’ awareness of Chinese immigration policies, particularly rules for foreigners entering the country on a visitor or tourist visa.

According to the DFA, the salient points of the campaign are the following:

1. Filipinos should respect the laws of China and observe the restrictions of their visas. If their visa is for tourism purposes only, they should not engage in any employment without proper visa or permit, whether they are compensated or not.
2. They should not be involved in any unlawful activities or criminal acts, such as illegal drugs trade and prostitution.
3. They should return to the Philippines on or before the expiry of their authorized period of stay in China to avoid violating immigration and labor regulations of that country.