Illegal foreign workers on the rise in Phl – TUCP

MANILA, Philippines - More foreigners are entering the country to illegally seek employment, according to the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP).

TUCP spokesman Alan Tanjusay said the number of illegal foreign workers in the country has been increasing in the past years.

“The influx of migrant workers is a growing phenomenon in the country today,” he said.

TUCP estimates that over 3,500 foreigners are working in the country illegally.

The figure is expected to increase unless the government takes the necessary measures to control the entry of illegal foreign workers, he added.

Tanjusay said the bulk of undocumented foreign workers are Chinese nationals and others are South Koreans, Japanese, Indonesians, Malaysians and Vietnamese.

Undocumented foreign workers are often employed in the construction, manufacturing, electronics and services industries in Metro Manila, Central Visayas, Davao region, Zamboanga peninsula, Bataan and Batangas, he added.

The increasing number of migrants working without government permits and without fulfilling other requirements for alien workers has very serious implications in the current employment and underemployment situation, Tanjusay said.

Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said only legal foreign workers pass through the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

The entry of undocumented foreign workers is a concern of the Bureau of Immigration (BI), she added.

TUCP is pushing for the creation of a tripartite committee comprised of representatives from DOLE, BI and other concerned government agencies to stop the influx of illegal migrant workers in the country.

Tanjusay said the proposed committee is to ensure migrant workers go through the legal process and comply with the requirements of the Alien Employment Permit (AEP).

“The number of illegal migrants is growing very fast that it immediately needs government oversight to ensure that labor laws and standards are in place and are working to make sure there are no abuses and exploitations taking place,” he said. - By Mayen Jaymalin (The Philippine Star)