The Bureau of Immigration (BI) in the Philippines is accelerating the deportation of foreigners involved in illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO) to reduce the financial burden on the government caused by detaining them.
Immigration spokesperson Dana Sandoval stated that the government provides a daily food subsidy of 70 pesos per detainee, in addition to bearing costs for security, transportation, and logistics, which heavily utilizes resources that could otherwise be used for other public affairs.
"The government's expenditures are already substantial, and we must ensure there are sufficient funds to enforce deportation orders to protect the interests of Filipino citizens and ensure the effective implementation of existing laws," emphasized Sandoval.
In addition to increased financial expenditures, the immigration bureau's detention facilities are also facing issues of overcapacity. Sandoval revealed that Camp Bagong Diwa, originally designed to hold 100 people, now houses 300 detainees, with 226 illegal foreigners successfully repatriated.
The Philippine government collaborated with the Chinese Embassy to charter flights for the repatriation of 98 Chinese citizens involved in illegal POGO activities. Among them, 91 were part of the 450 foreigners arrested during a law enforcement operation in Parañaque City on January 8, and the other 7 were from the Bicutan Detention Center. Additionally, 10 Vietnamese citizens were also deported on commercial flights.
Sandoval mentioned that the immigration bureau plans to continue arresting and deporting the remaining approximately 11,000 illegal foreign workers by mid-year.
"We are not only targeting large-scale illegal gatherings but also focusing on smaller dens like apartments and residences to ensure that all violating foreigners are deported according to the law," added Sandoval.
