The Bureau of Immigration Sunday hailed the move of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to stop the unscrupulous practice of issuing travel documents to minors going abroad even if they are not accompanied by their parents.

BI Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said the move was a step in the right direction in the fight against human trafficking. He lauded DSWD Secretary Esperanza Cabral for warning against the issuance of travel clearance to departing minors not accompanied by their parents, adding that the warning is a vigilant move from an agency mandated to protect minors.

Earlier, the DSWD head warned unauthorized parties issuing travel clearance to minors to stop the practice, saying the department is the sole agency tasked to issue the said clearance.

Libanan said Cabral’s statement puts order in the processing of documents of minors leaving the country as he called for stronger vigilance by government agencies in the fight against human trafficking.

“This call by the DSWD secretary is most timely as the government is tightening its efforts to fight human trafficking, especially of women and minors,” he said.

According to Libanan, the BI has been very strict in processing departing minors if they are not accompanied by their parents.

“There have been many attempts to smuggle out of the country young children under suspicious circumstances and we have foiled these attempts,” he said.

The BI chief had previously cited the need for an inter-agency approach in combating human trafficking syndicates and called on local government units down to the barangay level to actively take part in the effort.

“Human trafficking and illegal recruitment start in the barangays. If we have to stop this crime, the effort should start at the barangay level,” he said.

The BI has been sounding off alarms against new tricks by human trafficking syndicates even as the bureau has improved its intelligence operations and modernized its monitoring capability by introducing high-tech improvements in its facilities and operations.

“We have made strong gains against these international syndicates that move people from country to country. The fight, however, should start at the barangays with all government agencies doing their part,” Libanan said.