Pinoys in UAE back proposal to lift immigration barriers

Overseas Filipino workers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) expressed support for the proposal of Philippine Vice President Jejomar Binay to lift immigration barriers that their families may join or visit them under more liberal terms. During the seventh Asian-European Meeting (ASEM) Interfaith Dialogue in Manila last Thursday, Binay pushed for the creation of a “free movement of people across borders" to address challenges to migration. A report of the news site Khaleej Times quoted Madilyn Biazon,who has been living in the UAE for 25 years, as saying she will "no longer worry of the alleged bribes of P25,000 (Dh2,500) up, which many fall into the hands of immigration officers at the airport to ensure their loved ones reach the UAE as scheduled." Biazon said Binay's proposal will resolve the problem about the "Affidavit of Support and Guarantee" required by the Bureau of Immigration from the OFWs' family members who are traveling to Dubai. The affidavit is aimed at curbing human trafficking. Earlier, Consul-General Benito Valeriano and the Governing Council of the Filipino Community met to address alleged corruption at Philippine airports. Measures were drawn up to assist the victims of alleged corruption in airports. In a statement released by the Office of the Vice-President (OVP) in the Philippines, Binay said a new treaty must guarantee the free movement of peoples across borders. “Lifting immigration barriers must now be seriously considered, while retaining the necessary safeguards against human trafficking, illegal recruitment, international terrorism and other transnational crimes," said Binay, who also serves as the Presidential Adviser on Overseas Filipino Workers’ Concerns. Binay said allowing migrant workers to bring their families with them helps mitigate the social costs of migration, such as the breaking up of marriages and youth waywardness. “Where one spouse has gone abroad, the consequent separation from the family is likely to exert increasing pressure on the couple until one spouse or the other or both succumb. Then the marriage breaks up, and the children are left fatherless or motherless, or in any case, on their own," he said. - VVP, GMA News