The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has expressed alarm over the recent trend of minor aliens obtaining fraudulently acquired foreign passports.
In a statement, BI Chief Norman Tansingco said immigration officers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) have encountered three incidents of Vietnamese children presenting illegally obtained German passports, a possible case of trafficking of minors to illegally enter other countries.
Immigration officers at NAIA Terminal 1 also intercepted two Vietnamese women who attempted to enter the country claiming to be German nationals.
“They were lookalikes, but were detected as both German passports prompted a hit in the BI’s Interpol derogatory check system indicating that their travel documents were reported as lost or stolen,” Tansingco said.
Meanwhile, another Vietnamese minor was intercepted at NAIA Terminal 1 before he could board a Korean Airlines flight to Incheon, South Korea, en route to his final destination in Toronto, Canada.
The child, identified as “Thang,” 17, also presented a fraudulently acquired German passport when he presented himself for departure clearance. He admitted that he intended to use the German passport to gain illegal entry to Canada.
Be the first to comment