BI bars 171 sex offenders from entering PH in 2023

BI bars 171 sex offenders from entering PH in 2023

MANILA – A total of 171 foreigners with records of conviction or involvement in sex offenses have been stopped from entering the country last year, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported on Friday.

Commissioner Norman Tansingco said the foreigners were turned away pursuant to a provision in the Immigration Act which forbids the entry of aliens who have been convicted or charged with crimes involving moral turpitude.

Records show that 129 Americans account for the bulk of the excluded sex offenders, followed by 15 Britons, four Australians, and four Irishmen.

Two Germans and two Chinese nationals are also on the list.

Of the 171 aliens, 153 were turned back for being registered sex offenders (RSOs) while the rest were either charged with sex crimes or are subjects of complaints for similar offenses.

“They were also placed in our blacklist of undesirable aliens to make sure that they are excluded if they attempt again to come here in the future. Their presence poses a serious risk to our women and children,” Tansingco said in a statement.

RSOs refer to persons who have been placed in a registry of sex offenders by their governments after their convictions, service of sentence or release on probation.

The practice enables authorities of a particular country to keep track of the sex offenders’ movements and warn their foreign counterparts if any of these perons are traveling to the latter’s territory.

Meanwhile, the BI announced that its main office in Intramuros, Manila will be closed on January 9 pursuant to the directive issued by Malacañang.

On Thursday, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. declared January 9 a special non-working day in Manila in connection with the celebration of the Feast of the Black Nazarene.

“Applicants may proceed to other BI offices in the Metro for their immigration needs,” the BI said in a statement. (PNA)