The Bureau of Immigration on Friday called on local law enforcement agencies to tighten security at the country’s airports to help the country’s efforts against human trafficking.
BI commissioner Norman Tansingco made the call after noticing that many trafficking victims recount how their documents are handed to them in establishments within the airport complex.
“This should not be reached at this point. Before the victim arrives at the airport, there are too many (people) handling the travel documents. Recruited via social media, they will pay via wire transfer, then will give the fake documents outside of the airport. We all have to open our eyes because it’s happening right under our noses,” he added.
The BI chief suggested strengthening the undercover police presence around the airport premises to detect traffickers who frequent the area.
“There is only one modus, and it occurs daily. To stop trafficking, you have to yank it from its roots and stomp on it hard,” he said.
The agency earlier reported intercepting a female victim last July 17 after being recruited to work in Dubai. The victim pretended to be a tourist bound for Singapore. Her fraudulent documents were given to her right outside Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1, an investigation revealed.
Tansingco shared they have already alerted the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) against the modus, with the latter committing to filing cases against the recruiters.
“Fighting trafficking needs a whole-of-government approach,” he said.
“It’s a tiring and thankless job, and I think it’s necessary for everyone to step up and elevate our game against these syndicates.”