SIARGAO-based vlogger Cham Tanteras’ video on her experience missing her flight after being grilled by an immigration officer at the airport has become viral. But an anti-human trafficking advocate said it seems that based on the circumstances she presented, it would appear that her profile fits someone who is not traveling for tourism but to look for work.
“If I was the immigration officer who questioned her, I would really offload her,” an anti-human trafficking advocate told republicasia.
Why offloading happens
The Bureau of Immigration has been tasked by the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) to look out for red flags of Filipinos going abroad in the guise of being tourists.
Based on the IACAT guidelines, the BID should “not clear” or “offload” passengers from departing the country if they believe a case of human trafficking is being committed.
The ‘red flags’
The anti-human trafficking advocate spoke to republicasia on condition of anonymity as she is actively involved in confidential work against human smugglers in the Middle East. She became curious at the viral video titled “Immigration Rant” and scrolled the other videos shared by Tanteras on Tiktok.
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Unfortunately, she said, Tanteras ticked almost all the red flags of someone who is going abroad for greener pastures.
Based on information shared on Tiktok, Tanteras could be referred to secondary inspection at the BI’s Traffic Control and Enforcement Unit (TCEU) because she:
- Has no work – Tanteras said she is a freelancer
- Has only booked a one-way ticket – Tanteras said she bought a one-way Gulf Air ticket worth P19,000 from Skyscanner (side comment by source: “Actually, that’s cheap ha! Considering she was traveling on Christmas Eve”)
- No accommodation booking – Tanteras said she did “couchsurfing,” or a free accommodation among network of hosts willing to provide their “couch” to tourists
- Destination country: Israel, an OFW hotspot or where there are illegal Filipino workers
- Solo traveler, single, woman
- Traveling on Christmas Eve, staying abroad for one month
- P6,000 (US$120) pocket money. Israel has a high cost of living. You will need at least P25,000 (US$500) a month.
While Tanteras showed in her Tik Tok videos that she is a legitimate tourist (and has been doing solo travels before), an immigration officer does not have a crystal ball to determine right away if she is indeed one.
Genuine tourists affected by anti-human trafficking campaign
The BI has already stopped many potential human trafficking victims from going overseas.
Unfortunately, genuine tourists or legitimate job-seekers have also been offloaded, and they ended up paying more for a supposedly fun revenge trip.
“It’s true. There are so many genuine Filipino tourists who suffer from the abuses made on our fellow Filipinos,” the source said.
What immigration officer is looking at
Officials told republicasia that the key to a stress-free encounter at the departure area at the airport is to convince immigration officers that you are a legitimate tourist or worker.
Here are the things the immigration officer is looking at the departing passengers:
- Basic documents
- Passport valid for 6 months
- If required in the country of destination, valid visa
- Round-trip or return ticket
- The “totality of circumstances” of passengers including:
- Age – age 25 and below, red flag
- Educational attainment – not a college graduate, red flag
- Financial capability to travel in accordance with the purpose of travel as declared by the passenger – no enough cash or credit card, red flag
- Travel history – if first time, red flag
- Country of destination – if OFW “hotspot,” red flag
- Filipino passengers will be required to undergo secondary inspection if:
- Escorted or accompanied by a foreigner who is not a relative and has no financial capacity to travel;
- Minor traveling alone or unaccompanied by either parent or legal guardian without travel clearance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development;
- Spouse of a foreign national intending to depart for the first time to join the foreign spouse or a partner of a foreign national intending to meet or marry their fiance/fiancee without certificate from the Commission on Filipinos Overseas
- Traveling to countries with existing deployment bans, travel advisories alert levels 3 and 4
- Previously stayed abroad for more than six months as “tourist” and temporary visitor and intending to depart for the second or subsequent time.
‘Why at my expense?’ — Tanteras
In her subsequent vlog, Tanteras said it is understandable for immigration officers to stop potential human trafficking victims from leaving the country.
“I know that the questioning in the Immigration (Office) is an SOP because it’s my country’s way of protecting me,” she said. “But to what extent? Me missing my flight? According to the immigration officer, wala naman syang balak offload ako. Alam kong walang problema sa mga documents ko. He knows that already. ”
Also, Tanteras said she still doesn’t understand why she was required to present a yearbook.
The BID said they are investigating the complaint of Siargao vlogger.
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