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BI intercepts 2 'trafficking' victims; bars travel abroad

Philippines | National

BI intercepts 2 'trafficking' victims; bars travel abroad

By Jeffrey Damicog

Two Filipinas, who posed as tourists but later admitted to have been recruited as a dancer and a therapist in the Middle East, were barred from leaving the Philippines.

They were intercepted separately last Feb. 21 at the Davao International Airport before they could board their flight to Thailand.

Their names were withheld by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) which referred their cases to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for assistance in the filing of charges against their recruiters.

The BI said that "a careful scrutiny of their documentation revealed that they were planning to transit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE)."

“This modus is still prevalent, wherein women are made to agree to work illegally as entertainers, but end up in prostitution because their employers have full control over them once they are abroad,” said Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco.

With the latest incident of human trafficking, Tansingco reminded those seeking to work abroad to only seek employment through legal means and that is through the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).

“Aspiring workers should also protect themselves from these syndicates preying on their desire to work abroad,” he said.

Related Tags

Bureau of Immigration

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