Passenger Asked to Present 10 Birth Certificates? Immigration Answers

(SPOT.ph) A Filipina passenger allegedly asked to show 10 birth certificates of her family members was barred from leaving the country twice, with the Bureau of Immigration on Monday, July 10 saying her trip was deferred due to multiple red flags.

Her cousin in Taiwan said she was sponsoring her cousin's trip, who was scheduled to leave June 29. She was offloaded after failing to present a physical photo of them together. Come July 1, she was allegedly asked to present 10 birth certificates of different kin to establish their relationship.

Also read: 
What Happens When a Passenger Goes Through Immigration at the Airport?
Do You Need to Bring Your Yearbook or Diploma to the Airport?

What happened at the Immigration, according to the viral passenger's relative

Ammie Liau wanted to bring her unnamed cousin to Taiwan for a leisure trip. Twice she was told she cannot depart for her trip.

"Sabi n'ya [immigration officer] nasa fifth o seventh degree na kayo ng pinsan mo so kailangan mo magdala ng 10 birth certificate ng mga tao na kanununuan ninyo to prove ano connections namin," Liau told PTV in an interview on July 6.

"Do I need to do this research? Ten birth certificate? Pipilahin mo 'yan sa PSA [Philippine Statistics Authority]. Siyempre saan tayo hahanap ng ano, patay na mga lolo lola natin," she said.

"Ano assurance nila pag na-provide ko 'yun? More or less by the next time, meron na naman silang hihingin na iba," Liau said, adding that she lost some P17,000 for the failed attempt to bring her cousin to Taiwan.

She hoped the Immigration will come up with proper guidelines on what to bring so they can prepare for it ahead of time.

What the Bureau of Immigration has to say

While the BI did not mention if an immigration officer asked for such and that it has yet to receive the full report, it said that there were "numerous inconsistencies" when asked about her sponsor, the agency said.

The passenger supposedly mentioned possibly working in Taiwan. She was then told to secure the documents needed for work abroad.

She was also unable to establish her personal capacity to sustain her 14-day trip, said Commissioner Norman Tansingco.

Passengers whose purpose and capacity aren't fully esablished may still be sponsored by a relative within the fourth civil degree, Tansingco said, citing the Department of Justice's guidelines on departure formalities.

“Travelers need not worry as long as they have the appropriate documents that match their actual purpose of travel. So many travelers are coming in and out of the country with no issues. Only those with conflicting documentation are subjected to further inspection," Tansingco said in a statement.

He will order further investigation on the matter, he said.

The Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) earlier addressed the rising concern over strict Immigration protocols, saying that while this may be an inconvenience for some who were forced to rebook or miss their flights, the BI is tasked to curb human trafficking incidents and prevent Filipinos from falling victim to "modern-day slavery".

Also read:
NAIA Security Personnel Are Now Banned From Wearing Jackets, Uniform with Pockets
NAIA, Mactan-Cebu Remove Entrance Security Checks in Some Terminals