Immigration authorities arrested 34 Chinese citizens caught in the act of working illegally at a construction site near the SM Mall of Asia complex in Pasay City last Tuesday.
Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said the BI was still verifying the visa status of the arrested foreigners to confirm if they had overstayed in the country.
He said the foreigners without an appropriate visa would be charged and undergo deportation proceedings for working without a proper visa and for violating the conditions of their stay.
“Initial investigation indicate that they arrived here as tourists and that they were employed as construction workers without securing the necessary work permits from the government,” the BI chief said.
He said that under the country’s immigration and labor laws, foreigners intending to work here must first apply for a permit from the Department of Labor and Employment and a working visa from the BI. Vito Barcelo
BI Acting Intelligence Chief Fortunato Manahan Jr. said the 34 aliens were arrested in a raid of their project site along Diosdado Macapagal Avenue where the foreigners were allegedly employed to do finishing works on an office building in the area.
“We very much welcome the presence of foreign nationals in the country, but they are reminded of their responsibility to comply with immigration laws,” Morente said.