Interpol Green Notice: Sex Offenders
Many foreigners, especially Americans, have been questioning why they have been sent back to their airports of origin in the Philippines, despite having traveled in and out of the country for many years without any issues. This situation, referred to as “airport to airport” in immigration terms, typically occurs when a person’s name is included in the Interpol green notice database. Individuals affected by this find themselves returning to their airports of origin without passing through immigration, due to their names being flagged both in the Interpol and immigration databases. This can come as a shock to their Filipino loved ones eagerly awaiting their return. Being placed on the immigration blacklist is a natural consequence if your name is tagged in a green notice. So, what exactly is an Interpol Green Notice? It is issued by Interpol to provide warnings and criminal intelligence about individuals who have committed criminal offenses and may continue to commit such crimes in other countries. According to Interpol, it is an effective way to share crucial police intelligence globally and prevent offenders from crossing borders. One of the primary targets of the Green Notice is sex offenders with criminal records of conviction abroad. Interpol has noted an increase in the number of traveling sex offenders who venture to foreign countries to exploit children. The Green Notice serves as Interpol’s primary tool in addressing traveling sex offenders and preventing the perpetuation of crimes and abuse of children in other countries. Notably, the Green Notice database was only shared with the Philippine Bureau of Immigration in the latter part of 2013. This explains why in the past, known sex offenders were able to travel in and out of the Philippines without hindrance. However, it’s important to acknowledge that not all individuals whose names are included in the Green Notice have serious cases of pedophilia. Some have been labeled as sex offenders for engaging in consensual sex with a fellow minor, for example, at the age of 17 with a 16-year-old, several decades ago. Despite both parties being minors at the time, the incident remains in the criminal database, which is shared with Interpol.
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Lifting Entries on the Blacklist for Sex Offenders
The latest Circular from the Bureau of Immigration no longer allows registered sex offenders to request or petition to have their names lifted from the blacklist. The Department of Justice issued an Administrative Circular (Memorandum No. LML-4-F15-693 dated 04 June 2015) directing the Bureau of Immigration to dismiss outright any petitions to lift entries in the immigration blacklist filed on behalf of sex offenders. According to another immigration administrative circular (SBM-2014-001 dated 04 February 2014), entries in the blacklist of registered sex offenders cannot be lifted without approval from the Secretary of Justice. This means that registered sex offenders can only petition directly with the Office of the Secretary of Justice to have their names removed from the immigration blacklist.
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Alex Acain, Esquire (Mobile: +63 9175002878)
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