6 Pinays bound for Dubai barred

MANILA, Philippines — Officers of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) have prevented six Filipino women from traveling to the United Arab Emirates.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said the travelers were intercepted at the departure area of the NAIA Terminal 3 by members of the BI Travel Control and Enforcement Unit.

They were barred from boarding their flight to Dubai after airport authorities discovered that their visas were fake, Morente said.

During inspection, the women said they are overseas Filipino workers returning to their previous employers.

“They claimed that they were hired directly as domestic household workers, but they failed to show any proof of such claim,” the BI said.

They were turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking for further investigation and filing of charges against their recruiters.

Morente warned human trafficking groups that their racket would not suceed as airport authorities are skilled in detecting falsified travel documents.

“Do not to take advantage of the pandemic to prey on poor Filipinos who are lured to become victims of human trafficking because of poverty,” Morente said.