The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has beefed up its manpower at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) with the deployment of 30 more immigration officers to help screen passengers and monitor possible instances of illegal recruitment and human trafficking.
Immigration Commissioner Ricardo David Jr., in a statement, said augmenting the BI personnel at the three Naia terminals was in line with the bureau’s thrust to intensify its campaign against human trafficking and address the increasing volume of passenger traffic at the country’s premier port.
“The campaign against human trafficking requires the fielding of more immigration officers to ensure that our ports of entry are adequately guarded,” he said.
The commissioner said the BI’s drive involves not only thwarting the entry of undesirable aliens but also preventing the departure of victims of illegal recruitment and human trafficking.
He said the bureau also expects the number of international travelers to rise in the next few months, adding: “Thus, long queues at the airport’s immigration counters should be avoided through the fielding of more immigration officers.”
He said that most of the personnel were veteran immigration officers who were recalled to the main office for retraining on airport operations and procedures.
“Our immigration officers are the very first persons that foreigners meet when they visit our country, thus they must project a positive and professional image to reflect our vaunted trademark traits of hospitality and courtesy,” David said.