ELEVEN Chinese from Guangzhou, a regional center in southern China, were denied entry at the premier airport for misrepresenting the purpose of their travel to the country.
The 11 passengers were intercepted at Naia Terminal 1 after they arrived on a China Southern Airlines flight from Guangzhou, said Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente.
He said the Chinese, who were in possession of entry exemption documents and temporary visitor visas, were barred from coming into Manila following secondary inspection by members of the Travel Control and Enforcement Unit (TCEU).
According to the documents the passengers presented, they were supposedly invited to the country by two telecommunications companies to attend conferences.
“Their testimonies during the interview, however, were highly inconsistent with the supposed purpose of their trip,” Morente said.
All passengers could not present proof or documents to support their claim that they were invited to a business conference.
“They claimed to be employed as engineers in China, but when asked about their profession as well as their alleged conference, they could not provide details,” Morente added.
The 11 Chinese were immediatelty issued “exclusion orders” and booked on the first available flight back to Guangzhou, and subsequently placed in the immigration blacklist.
Morente reiterates his warning to aliens that they will be denied entry if they misrepresent or lie about the true purpose in coming to the country.
He said possession of a valid visa and entry exemption is not a guarantee that an alien will be allowed entry.
“The passenger will still be subject to strict immigration scrutiny upon arrival in a Philippine port of entry,” Morente said.