RP official to legalize Indonesians

RP official to legalize Indonesians

MANILA (DPA): The Philippines' immigration office has urged
his government to grant permanent resident status to almost 7,000
Indonesians illegally staying in the southern region of Mindanao
"for the past three generations".

Immigration Commissioner Rufus Rodriguez said legalizing the
stay of the Indonesians would be the best solution to their
"stateless status", noting it would be difficult to force them
out of the country.

Rodriguez said a year-long survey recorded a total of 6,914
Indonesians living in at least seven provinces in Mindanao
without proper travel or immigration documents.

"Many of these Indonesians have been staying in Mindanao for
the past three generations, that they have already adapted to
Filipino customs and traditions and even speak the local
dialect," Rodriguez said.

"It would be difficult to force these Indonesians to leave the
country, since many of them have already assimilated themselves
into Philippine society by marrying Filipino women and siring
children," he added.

Rodriguez said he plans to meet with officials of the
Indonesian consulate in Davao City, 990 kilometers south of
Manila, to discuss the problem and come up with a solution.