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Philippines
Thursday, March 28, 2024

20 illegal OFWs in Russia sent home

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The Philippine Embassy in Moscow has recorded the highest repatriation efforts of Filipinos of 20 in June, its ambassador said on Saturday.

In a statement, Philippine ambassador to Russia Carlos Sorreta said that the increase in the number of repatriates is due to the inability of overseas Filipino workers to obtain visas.

"Thus forcing them to return to the Philippines rather than stay in Russia without the required documents where they may be at risk of facing heavy penalties," Sorreta said.

Out of the 20 OFWs, Sorreta said two were apprehended by the authorities while the remaining individuals have sought the embassy's assistance.

“We understand that no OFW wants to go home abruptly, especially through deportation. The fact that our nationals came to the Embassy for assistance in this regard means that they were really left with no choice,” the envoy said. 

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“We thank them for their trust in the Embassy and their willingness to comply with proper procedure," he added.

The embassy's assistance  includes helping Filipino workers undergo deportation proceedings in order to obtain expulsion orders which will serve as their exit visas.

They are also accommodated at the Embassy's Assistance-to-Nationals Shelter, where they were provided with food and supplies, while the process was ongoing.

Sorreta said that there is currently "no work visa" category for household service workers in Russia.

He said majority of these Filipinos were able to obtain their visas for large fees from so-called "visa-agencies" that misrepresent them as highly-qualified professionals in management positions.

This makes OFWs vulnerable to arrest, detention, and fines.

Lately, many Russia-based Filipinos were not able to obtain work visas.

“We observed that the recruitment of Filipinos by unauthorized entities—especially from Hong Kong and other third countries—led to a situation where the number of work visas available for Filipinos, even the ones that misrepresent their actual work and employers, is no longer enough,” Vice Consul Jeffrey Valdez said.

"In the first place, working with such visas that are obtained in exchange for money is already irregular and does not comply with Russian and Philippine rules. What makes things worse is that Filipinos are being recruited using tourist, commercial [business] and even student visas that do not allow a foreign national to work in Russia," he added.

The Embassy estimates that there are between 5,000 and 10,000 Filipinos in Russia, majority are women who work as nannies and cleaners.

“While there is a niche demand for Filipino household workers, we need to find a long-term solution that clearly defines their legal status for their own protection. The continuous entry of Filipinos in violation of immigration rules makes that task even more challenging,” Sorreta said.

Sorreta said the Philippine Embassy in Russia is working closely with DFA's Office for Migrant Workers Affairs.

"We are also working closely with relevant Russian and Philippine authorities, including our other embassies and consulates in countries where illegal recruitment occurs,” he added.

Sorreta also warned all Filipinos seeking  jobs in Russia against illegal recruitment where it is thriving now through the social media.

“We’ve had increased cases of Filipinos in Russia recruiting Filipinos for household jobs in Russia," he noted.

"There is no visa category for household workers here and Filipinos end up improperly documented and placed at risk because they can be detained, fined, and deported for violating Russian immigration laws,” Sorreta emphasized.

He added that “holders of commercial and tourist visas are not allowed to work in Russia.”

He also warned that Russia has been tightening its implementation of its immigration laws. 

“We have also seen an increase in Russian authorities implementing its immigration laws. We provide every assistance to protect the safety and welfare of Filipinos. In some cases, we were able to avoid long detentions and deportations. In others we had to provide repatriation assistance,” the Ambassador added.

The Embassy also advised Filipino applicants to check if the recruitment agency is licensed by POEA.

"We must remember if the person offering a job or visa is not licensed by POEA, this can be considered illegal recruitment," Sorreta said. 

Sorreta said that the Philippine government is working closely with the Russian government to find a long term solution.

He added that there is a serious need to prevent any further deployment of illegally recruited Filipino.

“Putting the brakes on illegal recruitment and the grave abuse of Russian visas will go a long way towards our efforts at strengthening our dialogue with the Russian government,” Sorreta said.

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