Human traffickers operating in Pasay, Pampanga – DFA

MANILA, Philippines — A recruitment syndicate operating in Pasay and Pampanga is illegally trafficking Filipinos to Iraq, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

In an advisory yesterday, the DFA warned the public of illegal recruiters who offer household service jobs in Dubai, Turkey or other places in Europe, but would then abandon their victims in Iraq.

The agency said eight more trafficking victims were secured by the Philippine embassy in Bagdad last month and will soon be deported to the Philippines.

Citing official statements gathered from the trafficking victims, the DFA said the recruiters promised to have the visas to their supposed destination available while in transit in Iraq. 

The victims, however, failed to receive their visas and were left to fend off for themselves in the conflict-torn country where a deployment ban is in place.

Earlier this year, a trafficking victim was released for deportation after three months of detention for visa violations.

She came to Iraq using a Kurdistan visit visa, which was not valid for her stay in Basra, which has its own visa rules.

The DFA reminded Filipinos who are residing, working or vacationing in Iraq to take note that their Kurdistan visas will not be valid in Baghdad, Basra or other provinces in Iraq outside of the Kurdistan provinces of Erbil, Duhok and Sulaymaniyah.

The agency also warned that Iraq imposes imprisonment and hefty penalties for persons without the proper visas or with expired visas. 

It noted that early warning signs of fraud include failure of recruiter to provide applicants with visas to the intended destination; vague information regarding the nature and conditions of the work offered by the recruitment agency; and applicants having no control of their identification documents.

The DFA also warned against recruiters who advise applicants to claim that they are tourists or go to a specific immigration lane, as well as those who have no permanent address or did not reveal their full names and contact details.