Philippines deports alleged illegal online gaming workers

The Bureau of Immigration says it has deported 150 Vietnamese nationals.

The Philippines.- The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has reported that more than 150 Vietnamese nationals allegedly involved in illegal online gaming operations were blocked from entry and deported from the Philippines in March. Commissioner Norman Tangsinco the deportations were based on the likelihood of the deportees becoming a public charge, which violates the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940.

Alongside the Vietnamese nationals, the deportation list included 30 Chinese and 14 Indonesians, among others. They have been put on the blacklist, preventing future entry.

“We leverage available data on past arrests and interceptions to identify individuals exhibiting similar travel behaviours,” Tansingco said.

In February, the BI reported that 43 Chinese citizens were deported after being arrested for violations of anti-trafficking laws.

See also: Philippines: 776 arrested for illegal gambling during Holy Week