Pasok sa 2024 National Budget ang pondo para sagutin ang travel expenses ng mga outbound Filipino na hindi makakabiyahe dahil sa naipit sa immigration check.
Pagbabahagi ni Makati Representative Luis Campos, Vice-chair ng House Appropriations Committee, may special provision sa 2024 National Budget para sagutin ang gastos ng mga paalis na Pilipino na maiipit sa inspeksyon ng immigration.
Ani Campos, kukunin ang panggastos sa special trust fund account ng Bureau of Immigration (BI) na mula sa koleksyon ng fees at charges.
Hinihintay naman sa ngayon na makapaglabas ng panuntunan ang BI, Department of Budget and Management, at Commission on Audit sa kung paano ito ipapatupad.
Una nang isinulong ni Sen. Chiz Escudero, na magkaroon ng reimbursement sa mga pasahero na mao-offload sa kanilang biyahe dahil sa mahabang interrogation sa immigration.
Batay sa records ng BI sa 32, 404 na Pilipinong pasahero na hindi nakabiyahe noong 2022, 472 lang ang napatunayang sangkot sa human trafficking o illegal recruitment.
Sa budget message ni Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., sinangayunan nito ang conditional implementation ng naturang special provision.
“Moreover, I acknowledge the noble intent of Congress in including the proviso in DOJ-Bureau of Immigration (Bl), Special Provision No. 1, “Immigration Fees and Collections,” Volume l-A, page 1131, that travel expenses incurred by Filipino passengers who were deferred or denied boarding without a court order shall be charged from the balance of the special trust fund account. However, it must be clearly understood that this should not render nugatory the mandate of the Bl to administer and enforce immigration laws, as well as RA No. 11862 (Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act).
Therefore, the guidelines to be issued by the Bl, Commission on Audit (COA), and Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to implement this special provision shall prescribe the necessary and sufficient standards to ensure the balance between the protection and convenience of Filipino passengers and the duty of the Bl to effectively enforce immigration and related laws.” saad ng Pangulo sa kaniyang budget message | ulat ni Kathleen Forbes
