The Bureau of Immigration has started deploying its personnel to areas near the country’s borders with Indonesia and Malaysia as part of government’s efforts to augment security and prevent undocumented aliens from slipping into the country via the southern backdoor.

 

            BI Commissioner Ricardo David Jr. signed last week several personnel orders reassigning several immigration officers from Manila to five so-called border crossing stations in Mindanao.

 

Among them is veteran immigration officer Recaredo Reyes, who was named chair of the border crossing coordinating committee (BCCO) that will oversee and supervise the personnel deployed to the said border crossing stations.

The stations are in Bongao and Turtle Islands in Tawi-Tawi; Taganak and Balabac in Palawan; and Batunganding and Tibanban in Davao del Sur.

 

            Earlier, David issued a memorandum order creating the BCCO which spelled out the mechanisms and guidelines for deploying the border crossing officers to the South.

.           The committee was formed after Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. directed the BI to augment its personnel in Mindanao due to the “alarming” increase in the number of undocumented foreigners in the region.

 

            BI personnel officer Danilo Lopez disclosed that there are 25 border crossing officers, holding the position of Immigration Officer III, presently employed in the bureau.

 

            He said the employees will be deployed to the South on a rotation basis as their new assignments will unavoidably separate them from their families in Manila.

 

            The chief responsibility of border crossing officers is to conduct immigration formalities on foreigners arriving and departing at the border crossing stations.

 

            They shall detect and monitor activities of suspected illegal entrants and illegal aliens; monitor human trafficking activities; and adopt measures for apprehending human traffickers.

 

It is also their reponsiblity to repatriate or deport illegal border crossers; and effect the exclusion of illegal entrants and overstaying border crossers; and ensure compliance with guidelines for international-bound Filipino passengers.###