MANILA, Philippines — More than 200 foreign nationals were arrested for working in the Philippines during a raid at a network technology company in Makati City, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Tuesday.
BI Intelligence Division Chief Fortunato Manahan Jr. confirmed that 276 foreign nationals were arrested for “verification of their travel documents and immigration status.”
“Most were undocumented, and were unable to present any proof showing their status here during the arrest,” Manahan said in a statement.
Manahan added that the suspects were mostly engaged in online gaming business.
If the suspects were proven to be working in the Philippines without the appropriate visa, they will be ordered deported, Manahan noted.
The suspects were temporarily detained at the BI’s Warden Facility in Taguig for their pending deportation proceedings.
Meanwhile, BI Commissioner Jaime Morente warned that they will still pursue more operations against foreigners working in the Philippines without the required permits.
“We are serious about our drive against illegal aliens, and are focusing our energies on arresting those working without the proper documentation, stealing jobs from Filipinos,” Morente said in a statement.
In 2018, the BI’s Intelligence Division arrested 533 foreign nationals who were mostly workers without permit. /je