The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has expressed alarm over the recurring illegal recruitment scheme targeting former overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco cited the recent interception of a 37-year-old Filipina at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 who tried to board a Philippine Airlines flight bound for Doha, Qatar, with a layover in Dubai.
Immigration officers requested verification of the victim’s documents with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), and discovered discrepancies, prompting subsequent cancellation of her departure clearance.
Investigation by BI personnel revealed that the woman was illegally recruited to work as a household helper in Dubai.
“The modus operandi of these unscrupulous individuals involves using the records of legitimate contracts to facilitate their departure under false pretenses, while actually redirecting them to work illegally in a different country,” Tansingco said.
The victim said that she does not have a confirmed employer yet, and that her documents will be processed upon arrival in Dubai.
A similar case was reported last July 12 at the NAIA Terminal 1, wherein a female OFW claimed she is a returning worker in Riyadh, and is merely transiting via Dubai.
Records show that she has been recruited through a similar modus, through an advertisement she saw on Tiktok.
The case has been turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for legal action against the recruiters responsible for the said scheme.
“This incident serves as a reminder to all returning OWFs to exercise caution and be vigilant in their dealings with recruiters,” said Tansingco.
“The BI and the DMW already has an integrated system, hence it would be very easy for us to identify the legitimacy of presented clearances,” he warned. Vito Barcelo