Three Filipino women believed to be victims of a human trafficking syndicate were repatriated from China, the Bureau of Immigration disclosed.
Immigration protection and border enforcement section (I-PROBES) chief Ann Camille Mina said the three women, who arrived on board a China Southern Airlines flight from Guangzhou, China, were illegally recruited to work abroad.
The victims were all in their forties, and were recruited to work as waitresses and household helpers. They left as tourists, but were reportedly scammed after receiving false promises of work visas in China.
They reported being arrested by immigration police in China for overstaying and spending more than a month in jail.
Authorities from the Philippine Consulate in Guangzhou intervened and assisted the victims’ return to the Philippines.
“This is but one of the possibilities that our kababayans may face if they work illegally abroad. We urge aspiring overseas workers not to resort to illegal means to be able to work,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) conducted an inspection of immigration operations at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 aimed to review procedures on departure formalities as part of the inter-agency’s regular assessment.
During the inspection, the IACAT confirmed that the BI is implementing the same procedures as it has been implementing in the past.
BI chief Norman Tansingco reiterated that the new guidelines pose no additional requirements for departing tourists.
“In the updated guidelines, regular tourists are only required a passport valid for at least 6 months, a valid visa if visa required, a boarding pass, and a confirmed round trip ticket,” Tansingco said.