MANILA, Philippines - Forty-eight Filipinos were among the 200 foreigners expelled from China in 2013.
The Philippine embassy in Beijing cited a report that Filipinos were apprehended and detained for spurious visas or forged passports, working without proper employment visas and permits, assuming false identity and overstaying in the country.
Some were arrested for illegally entering China to use it as transit point for travel to other countries.
In response to the report, the embassy has initiated an information campaign reminding all Filipinos in China to observe and comply with the conditions and restrictions of their visas.
The information campaign aims to increase the Filipinos’ awareness of Chinese immigration policies, particularly rules for foreigners entering the country on a visitor or tourist visa.
The campaign calls on Filipinos to respect the laws of China and observe the restrictions of their visas. If their visa is for tourism purposes only, they should not engage in any employment without proper visa or permit, whether they are compensated or not.
They should not be involved in any unlawful activities or criminal acts, such as drug trafficking and prostitution.
Filipinos should return to the Philippines on or before the expiry of their authorized period of stay in China to avoid violating immigration and labor regulations of that country.