The Bureau of Immigration on Friday disclosed that its officers in different ports of entry barred a total of 171 foreign nationals with records of convictions or involvement in sex offenses from entering the country last year.

BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said those aliens were immediately excluded pursuant to a provision in the Immigration Act that forbids the entry of aliens who have been convicted or charged with crimes involving moral turpitude.

He added that their names were also placed on their BI blacklist of undesirable aliens to make sure that they are barred from re-entering the country if they attempt again to come here in the future.

Records also show that 129 Americans account for the bulk of the excluded sex offenders, followed by 15 Britons, four Australians and four Irishmen. Also on the list were two Germans and two Chinese nationals.