MANILA, Philippines —The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will look into the reported hasty deportation of over 100 Filipino seafarers from the United States in recent months.
The group, representing the International Seafarers Action Center (ISAC), met on Wednesday with Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Ezzedin Tago of the Office of Migration Affairs and assured that its concerns would be looked into. The seafarers said that more than 100 have reportedly been detained, their visas canceled and “summarily deported” from the US. Tago said the DFA would coordinate with the Department of Migrant Workers and the Philippine Embassy in Washington to verify the reports.
He ensured that appropriate assistance would be extended to the affected Filipinos.
ISAC has asked the DFA to file a diplomatic protest over the alleged discrimination and denial of due process by US authorities.
Sought to comment on ISAC’s appeal, the DFA said there would be “no further comments for now.” Last July 20, border patrol officers at the Port of Norfolk in Virginia “forcibly removed in handcuffs” some Filipino workers of Carnival Sunshine cruise line despite having a valid 10-year US visa. They were deported and banned from re-entering the US in the next 10 years.
