Phl discovers trafficking of OFWs in MidEast countries

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - The Philippine government has uncovered a trafficking scheme of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to Jordan using Dubai, United Arab Emirates as transit points, a senior government official said today.

Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac said his office had discovered three recruitment agencies of allegedly using the scheme of having the documents of OFWs processed at the POEA for work in the UAE, but upon arrival in Dubai, the workers were transferred to planes bound for Jordan.

He said the POEA motu propio filed administrative complaints against the three agencies after receiving memos from the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Jordan requesting assistance for immediate repatriation of OFWs deployed by the agencies.

The workers ran away from their respective employers and are currently staying at the Filipino Workers Resource Center in Amman, Cacdac added.

Cacdac said he also issued the order of preventive suspension against the three agencies because there were reasonable grounds to believe that their continued operation would lead to further violation of POEA rules and regulations, and exploitation of applicants for overseas jobs.