Refused at manila airport

[Scottie1875]

Hi everybody, I was looking for a little advice.

My Sister in Law was travelling to Sweden for 3 months to stay with her boyfriend. She lives in the philippines. She applied for her Schengen Visa and was approved. She turned up at the airport today to fly out and they wouldn't let her leave the country, saying she didn't have enough money on her for her 3 months stay.

She had $300 on her but that was just for her travelling money. Of course when she gets to Sweden he Boyfriend will pay for her stay.

Surely if she has a visa for the country and shes been through all the checks they shouldn't refuse her to leave the country.

What should she do now? Any suggestions would be welcome.

Many thanks...

Owen

[johncar54]

A friend of mine's, gf had the same problem. I sent an email confirming that I would be responsible to all her expenses and they allowed her to fly the following day (paying the extra charges of course).

I would suggest to anyone in a similar position to get a letter from the bf / friend etc confirming they will pay all expenses.

[joebloggs]

i would have thought they should/would have phoned her boyfriend and got him to confirm that he was going to sponsor her finances, and he must have done a letter stating this when she applied for the visa?? maybe she should have taken a copy with her??...

who refused her? normally immigration in sweden would refuse her when she lands, not unless they check first in manila ?. I suppose they can refuse her, becuase when she applied for the visa, she could have shown she had £1,000s and but she gets to the airport only $300 and no credit cards etc if she has no money the chances are they will think she will work llegally

[Terpe]

Similar stories seem to be cropping up more often.
It may have something to do with the tightening up of human trafficking laws, and the impacts of immigration staff being stricter on how they view the regulations.

Sorry I can't offer a solution. The immigration people can pull up and question anyone they feel a need to.
How old is she?
Did she request to speak with a manager?

Probably one of the things to do is to have the immigration office explain which specific rules she needs to comply with.

That's really tough for her.

[grahamw48]

Similar stories seem to be cropping up more often.
It may have something to do with the tightening up of human trafficking laws, and the impacts of immigration staff being stricter on how they view the regulations.

Sorry I can't offer a solution. The immigration people can pull up and question anyone they feel a need to.
How old is she?
Did she request to speak with a manager?

Probably one of the things to do is to have the immigration office explain which specific rules she needs to comply with.

That's really tough for her.

It IS to do with anti-people trafficking laws.

The US has tied in the the tightening up of of these with future financial assistance packages.

There has also been an inter-departmental dispute involving the BOI, which hasn't helped matters.

The immigration officials feel entitled to consider that a young lady travelling abroad from a poor country, and with limited funds, may be going there on the basis of false promises, possibly to be channelled into the sex industry, possibly also to become an over-stayer in that country, leading to repatriation expenses being funded by the Philippines Govt.

Let's all be grateful for the freedoms that WE have in our country.

Now maybe the human rights people will get to work on helping the Filipina slaves kept by diplomats from certain (mainly middle-eastern) countries...but of course they have oil and money.

[johncar54]

When my friend wanted his GF to join him for a holiday in Thailand I wrote to the RP immigration asking what she would require. This is my email:-
A friend of ours, a Filipino, is intending to travel to Thailand for an 11
day holiday. I have just visited your web page and it shows she will
only need a valid passport (she has a new one just issued) and her return
ticket. No visa needed to Thailand.
My wife tells me she is certain that the friend will need a stamp from CFO and maybe more!
I should be grateful if you advise what she will in fact need.

Many thanks, salamat, John C ..........

REPLY From: "BI Helpdesk" <xinfo@immigration.gov.ph>
Sent: Tuesday, August 12, 2008 11:06 PM
To: "John Car........." ....... @ ...........>
Subject: Re: Bureau of Immigration, Philippines: Filipipno travelling to
Thailand as a tourist.

She only needs to present a valid passport and a confirmed return ticket at the airport of exit.

The CFO stamp is only for immigrants and not for tourist.

> Have a nice day.


Despite this undertaking she was not allowed to leave.

I then sent this fax to Immigration and she was then allowed to leave.


FAX .0063 2 8795917 13th November, 2008.
Chief Immigration Officer.
Immigration Dept, R.O.P. Manila

RE Miss Arleen D..... , Passport No. XX.............

Who was booked on PAL flight PR730 on 13th November 2008, flying to Bangkok, with a return ticket to MNL on 9th December, 2008.

The original ticket was booked by me on-line and paid for on my VISA credit card, No. XXXXxXXXXXXX 6826.


I subsequently changed the return date to 9th December Ms Diaz. I sent the money for the additional payment to Ms Diaz and she paid in PAL office in Makati.

The reason for the trip is to meet her fiancé Carl N ......... , a personal friend of mine. The couple were introduced by me and my Filipino wife and Carl stayed in Manila with Ms Diaz a couple of months ago. They are booked to stay at Asia Pattaya Hotel, room 707, 352 Moo 12 Pratamnak Road. Nongprue, Pattaya City, Cholburi 20150 Thailand. Tel : +66(0)38 250401-11 Fax: +66(0)2 215 9005

In January Carl N...... will travel to Manila, with documentation to permit him to marry Ms Diaz in early February, 2009. They will then apply for a visa for Ms Diaz, then Mrs Arleen N........., to reside permanently in Spain.

I hereby undertake and guarantee, to be fully responsible for all costs for Ms Diaz for her holiday in Thailand and for her return to Philippines. She has travel insurance which was arranged by Carl N..........




(John C ............)
my address .........

UK Passport Number 705......... Copy attached.

[grahamw48]

Things have changed significantly since then, as I have outlined in my post above.

[Terpe]

Couple of Interesting headliners from the Immigration website:-

Immigration chief exhorts men to sustain anti-trafficking drive

http://immigration.gov.ph/index.php?...=670&Itemid=78

2 OFWs nabbed at NAIA for trying to bribe BI man

http://immigration.gov.ph/index.php?...=669&Itemid=78


No mention of what to do if you get stopped/refused.

[Scottie1875]

Thanks for all the responses.

I am still waiting to hear exactly what happened at the airport. I will let you all know how she gets on and hopefully she will be able to travel once she has letter of support from her bf.

Thanks,

Owen

[Terpe]

Thanks for all the responses.

I am still waiting to hear exactly what happened at the airport. I will let you all know how she gets on and hopefully she will be able to travel once she has letter of support from her bf.

Thanks,

Owen

Owen, does this mean she no letter from her B/F?
I'd be willing to bet that would be one of the reasons.

Please let us whatever info you can. It can all help others to provide appropriate documents.
Hope she is OK ?

[Scottie1875]

I believe there was definately a letter of support sent to the Embassy as part of her visa application but I don't think she had anything like that on her when she went to the airport to travel.

[johncar54]

Aren't we confusing the point here.

Its nothing to do with applying for the visa but being allowed to leave RP.

As I quoted above,, the RP immigrantion dept say:-- a citizen only needs to present a valid passport and a confirmed return ticket at the airport of exit.

Then they start inventing reasons to punish their citizens.

[Scottie1875]

Aren't we confusing the point here.

Its nothing to do with applying for the visa but being allowed to leave RP.

As I quoted above,, the RP immigrantion dept say:-- a citizen only needs to present a valid passport and a confirmed return ticket at the airport of exit.

Then they start inventing reasons to punish their citizens.

I agree, there should not have been any reason for her to be refused permission to leave when she had a valid visa, passport and return ticket.

[Terpe]

As both Graham and I have said previously, the Human Trafficking laws have been very significantly tightened up. This has resulted in immigration officers being actively encouraged to utlise both their powers and their discretion in allowing the exit or not from Phils.

[johncar54]

Ok but does it say anywhere (on line) that a citizens must have anything other than a valid passport and a confirmed return ticket at the airport of exit. ?

[Terpe]

Ok but does it say anywhere (on line) that a citizens must have anything other than a valid passport and a confirmed return ticket at the airport of exit. ?

Yes.
It does. (More research would surely yield more information)
Take a look at this this:-
Friday, 11 February 2011 16:21:34 PHT
The immigration reply to my letter, girlfriend refused to leave Manila on a tourist visa.
Dear Sir:

Please be advised that the Bureau of Immigration, as a member of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking, is implementing strict departure formalities for certain Filipinos (BI Memorandum Order No. RPL-10-004 dated 09 August 2010). This regulation of the right to travel is pursuant to the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 (RA 9208) and other allied laws, and applies to those who are reasonably detected to be in a potential trafficking situation. This means that every departing passenger is assessed based on the totality of the circumstances at the time of departure, by scrutinizing the passport, ticket, visa or purpose of travel, capacity of the passenger to undertake the particular purpose of travel or that who is guaranteeing the travel, the authenticity of the POEA documents, if applicable, etc.
The regulation of the right to travel however does not authorize our Immigration Officers to treat passengers with discourtesy nor to extort money. If you feel that the Immigration Officer acted in such a manner, please feel free to execute a sworn written statement and trust that it shall be given appropriate and administrative due course.


Comment by observer:-
Thanks for sharing this. Unfortunately, Filipinos are often recruited by various unscrupulous recruiters, who abuse them once abroad, including such horrible things as slavery and forced prostitution, to prevent this, and to avoid Philippine embassies and consulates being troubled with people seeking help, the named laws have been implemented. To avoid being denied exit, depending on your travel purpose and destination, you will be required to follow various types of seminars, or submit yet more documentation about your travel sponsor.

A further complication is that some immigration officials see this as an opportunity to extract money from people wishing to leave the country, forcing them to either hand over several hundreds of dollars on the spot, or miss your flight. The best remedy here is to know the regulations exactly, and have an abundance of paperwork available to make your point.

I've also found that leaving through some of the alternative airports (Cebu, Davao, etc.) is far more relaxed than departing from NAIA.

[Pete/London]

Just a thought as it hasn`t been mentioned, does anyone know her age and would this have any bearing on the refusal

[joebloggs]

Aren't we confusing the point here.

Its nothing to do with applying for the visa but being allowed to leave RP.

As I quoted above,, the RP immigrantion dept say:-- a citizen only needs to present a valid passport and a confirmed return ticket at the airport of exit.

Then they start inventing reasons to punish their citizens.

exactly, i can understand if she had arrived in sweden and immigration had asked her about her finances and refused her entry but not even to leave manila

[Terpe]

Just a thought as it hasn`t been mentioned, does anyone know her age and would this have any bearing on the refusal

Good point. I already raised this and asked the question in post #4
This issue is obviously part of the profiling

[Pete/London]

Good point. I already raised this and asked the question in post #4
This issue is obviously part of the profiling

Sorry I missed that in your post Terpe, could be very relevant

[Arthur Little]

her age and would this have any bearing on the refusal

Reckon it could have ... IF she happened to be a "minor" travelling alone. But there again, would she have been granted a visa at all if she were under 21, for instance?

Or does this ruling only apply to those applying for settlement abroad?

[Scottie1875]

Just a thought as it hasn`t been mentioned, does anyone know her age and would this have any bearing on the refusal

She is 27 years old

[Arthur Little]

She is 27 years old

In that case, Owen ... I'm quite frankly, baffled ... because - if you remember - you'd been worried if she'd need to go through the *CFO palaver on leaving the Phils. And it was me who assured you that she wouldn't ... as *this only applied to emigrants.

[Arthur Little]

It's really hard lines that your sister-in-law is going through all this - to my mind - unnecessary hassle ... and I hope she receives an apology from Immigration once things have been sorted out.

[grahamw48]

The ruling applies to ALL Filipinos.

All that has happened is that (as I said in my previous post) the Phils govt. have instructed their employees to do their job and carry out the law which has been in force since 2003.

As I also previously stated (not getting at you here), this has come about mainly due to pressure from the US govt, which is at present negotiating new loans...half a billion dollars worth.

As we all know, there are thousands of laws in the Phils, just that many are routinely circumvented, often through bribery and corruption.

On this occasion the corrupt immigration officials were made an example of, so making the scrutiny of departing travellers even more of a sore point.

I have been updated on this situation within the past few days by several friends currently resident in the Phils, and involved in the travel business.

The situation regarding immigration practices, visas etc changes practically by the month in the Phils, so it is no use anyone quoting what happened to them or their friends in 2009.

As far back as 2003 my step-daughter (aged 14) who was returning from Phils to UK (where she had previously been resident for 4 years !) on a Filipino passport, had to be accompanied by her mother.
This meant her mother, who had gone on ahead to the UK, had to return at a cost of £600 just to travel with her daughter.

My 9 year-old son on the other hand (British passport) was permitted to travel unaccompanied, which he subsequently did.

You live and learn.

[Terpe]

So Graham, do you have any information from your contacts that might help shed some light on what additional documentation/evidence may help smooth the way for genuine travellers??

[ampy]

Show Money,,,,,they used to ask show money for tourist visa or first timer ,,,but i thought they have stopped it many years ago,
That is what i dont want about philippine immigration officers they sometimes go over the top and play God if they can get away with it.,,I was stopped one time and because my visit visa was not the original copy,it was supposed to be collected in Dubai airport ,everybody do the same they just wanted to pick on someone every now and then,,,i told myself,,what if i can talk my way out of it,i have to show money that i can pay for myself,pictures of my husband and some of important papers that i am not going to work abroad that i know what i am going to do,a bit of humor here and there,,,i think i made them laugh so much or they just had enough of me,,i got lucky !!!!they let me in,that was 1995

[Scottie1875]

My sister-in-law's boyfriend has phoned to find out why she was refused and they said she didn't have enough money for her 3 month stay. He asked how much would she need to have and they said 'enough' When he pressed them on how much 'enough' was they hung up on him.

It turns out she was also told at the airport that she was undergraduated. Sounds like they are making rules up as they go along.

I feel very sad for them both.. Hopefully they can sort it out.

[grahamw48]

So Graham, do you have any information from your contacts that might help shed some light on what additional documentation/evidence may help smooth the way for genuine travellers??

That would be too easy wouldn't it.

We're talking about the Philippines here.

'Normal' travel documentation is required pertaining to the type of journey, but final permission to travel is at the discretion of the immigration officer on duty at the airport.

That's where the lottery starts, it seems.

[ampy]

,hmmm, sound liked it yeah !!! tell her to ask for the supervisor,she can complain there,ask even a porter to take her to talk to whoever is in-charge there,,,she s got all the complete documents with her,,they dont have any reason to stop her,graduated or not,they can explain to her what she will have to do.
i have complained there before and the sales lady help me out,she called the personnel for me to complain about one immigration officers,first time i saw them so low and didnt even try to reason out,,
i really feel sad for her,i hate to be in that situation!