Put an end to ‘state extortion,’ Noy gov’t told

Philippine migrant groups in the United Arab Emirates have called on the government to scrap a travel guarantee document required of Filipino visitors to the UAE, branding the regulatory measure as “state extortion.”

The groups questioned a Bureau of Immigration policy of asking Filipinos visiting their relatives in the UAE for an affidavit of support.

Even if it is not a travel requirement imposed by the UAE government, the embassy or consulate in the UAE continues to authenticate them, the groups said.

The Philippine Embassy and consulate in UAE charge 100 UAE dirhams or around P1,185 for authentication.

Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator John Leonard Monterona, in a statement, said based on his group calculation assuming that there are 15,000 OFWs dependents bound to UAE yearly, the government is extracting around P18 million from OFWs and their dependents.

The document is usually asked by Filipino immigration officers from Filipinos departing for UAE to ensure that they are legitimate travelers. It is also the government’s way to safeguard Filipinos from human trafficking and illegal recruitment.

But to Nhel Merona, secretary general of Migrante-UAE, noted that “this is not an answer to human trafficking” as Immigration officers in Manila themselves allegedly continue to allow human trafficking victims to depart in

exchange for huge sums of money, Gulf News reported.

As a requirement, Filipinos who will be visiting their relatives in the UAE must present an embassy or consulate-authenticated guarantee letter from their sponsors before Immigration authorities stationed in Philippine airports. It is a documentary proof that UAE-based Filipinos will shoulder the board and lodging expenses of a visiting relative.

But presentation of the affidavit of support, the groups said, is not a guarantee that UAE visitors will be allowed to depart. There are instances wherein Filipinos are being offloaded from their flights amid the presentation of the document on suspicion that they are to work in the UAE illegally.

According to Gulf News, some offloaded victims claimed to have given bribe money to airport personnel ranging from P15,000 to P50,000 so they could depart for the UAE.

Philippine Consul General to Dubai Benito Valeriano explained that the authentication of the affidavit is “a ministerial function that the Philippine mission is mandated to do.”

“The consulate is just a notary public here,” he said. “We cannot refuse our compatriots who seek attestation if they think that it’s needed.”

Valeriano added if the Filipino groups would send a petition, he will endorse it to the Department of Justice in Manila.

Organizations that oppose the measure are Migrante International-UAE, Gabriela-UAE, Samahang Kababayan, Lingkod OFW, Lightform, Pilipino Nationalistic Association UAE, Impok Kapuso, Kapamilya at Kaibigan, Alpha Phi Omega, Filipino Digerati Association, Overseas Filipino Civil Engineers Association, and St. Mary’s Filipino Community Choir. –Michaela P. del Callar, Daily Tribune