In another significant operation against illegal recruitment, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) officers at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 prevented two Filipino women from departing the country on Tuesday.
The women confessed to BI’s Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section (I-PROBES) that they were deceived by illegal recruiters into seeking employment abroad.
The duo was stopped just in time before they could board an Air Asia flight destined for Kuala Lumpur. After a thorough interview conducted by I-PROBES personnel, the women, initially claiming to be colleagues at an Information Technology (IT) networking firm, admitted that their presented employment documents were fraudulent. These documents, they revealed, were handed to them by recruiters they had only interacted with on Facebook.
Each of the victims disclosed that they had parted with Php 75,000, believing it would secure their employment in Paris.
Following the interception, the women were handed over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT). They are set to assist in the ongoing investigation and will aid in filing charges against the illegal recruiters who exploited them.
Reacting to this alarming incident, Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco issued a stern warning to aspiring overseas Filipino workers. He urged them not to entertain shortcuts or engage with dubious recruiters. Instead, Tansingco emphasized the importance of adhering to the established legal processes when seeking overseas employment opportunities.
Tansingco further highlighted the grim realities faced by many victims of illegal recruitment. Often, these individuals, lured by the promise of lucrative jobs overseas, find themselves stranded and abandoned, returning to the Philippines with shattered dreams and depleted resources.
In closing, Tansingco urged the public: “Your hard-earned savings and future are at stake. Do not fall prey to these deceitful individuals who are only after their own gains. Stay informed, stay vigilant, and always choose the legal path.”