Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) need to take extra precautionary measures to avoid becoming a victim of illegal recruitment and illegal trafficking.
However, these nine OFWs were so unlucky after they fell prey to these criminals. They are now under the custody of the Philippine Embassy in Baghdad.
According to reports, these four women were offered jobs in the United Arab Emirates through social media. However, when they arrived in Dubai, they found out that there are actually no jobs waiting for them in the country but they were told that there are job openings in Iraq.
The victims entered Iraq without visas, said Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Elmer Cato. Also, there is still a deployment ban in Iraq.
“So, it’s either they accept the job in Iraq or they will have to pay 3,000 dollars to be allowed to go home,” says Cato. “They entered Iraq illegally,” he added.
Nonetheless, the Philippine Embassy is trying their best to help these Filipina return to the Philippines. They are also looking into their recruiters through the cooperation of local authorities.
The Department of Foreign Affairs kept a reminder to all aspiring OFWs to only transact on accredited recruitment agencies of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).
“Always be careful when looking jobs abroad and more importantly, be wary of those job offers on social media,” says Cato.
