(Eagle News)–The Bureau of Immigration reminded Filipinos planning to work abroad to beware of trafficking and illegal recruitment schemes.
Immigration Chief Jaime Morente issued the statement amid the 688 human trafficking attempts reported in 2021, with 13680 passengers reported without proper documentation.
“Human trafficking is considered as modern-day slavery. It is real and has hit many Filipinos,” Morente said.
According to the Immigration Chief, victims would be given fake documents or be trained to provide fake documents to work in countries where a ban is in place or to work illegally abroad.
Working illegally abroad, Morente said, adds to the vulnerability of the overseas worker to abuse.
“Many workers end up overworked, underpaid and sometimes not even paid at all,” Morente said.
He urged those planning to work abroad to deal only with legitimate recruitment agencies accredited with the government.