The Bureau of Immigration (BI) recently revealed 1,508 illegal aliens were deported in 2017, over three times the 400 removed from the country in 2016.

The agency reported many were found to have overstayed their visa or were working without permit.

Another group fell under the category of “undesirable,” with a reported 232 criminal aliens found to be hiding in the Philippines after committing serious crimes in their home country.

Chinese national topped the list with 1,248, followed by 115 from South Korea and 33 from India.

According to BI Legal Division Chief Arvin Santos, 2017 marked the first time the bureau conducted two mass deportation exercises./PLL, WDJ