EDITORIAL - Protecting OFWs

The government is correct in its efforts to stop human trafficking and the use of Filipinos as drug couriers. But the efforts must be fine-tuned to protect legitimate overseas Filipino workers from harassment. Recruiters are complaining that employers overseas, annoyed by the inability of OFWs to report for work on the date agreed upon, have started turning to other countries for workers.

The recruiters said many of the prospective OFWs were offloaded from their flights on suspicion that they might be victims of human trafficking. Other OFWs were victims of extortion by immigration agents, the recruiters claimed, with amounts demanded allegedly ranging from P30,000 to P50,000. The amounts were highest for prospective workers believed headed for countries where the Philippines had banned OFW deployment, such as Afghanistan. Even with the ban partly lifted, recruiters said the extortion continues. Workers bound for the Middle East are favorite targets, even if they have valid Overseas Employment Certificates.

Philippine authorities tightened requirements for departing OFWs following numerous cases of Filipinos with irregular working papers who were abused by their employers. Teenagers who were given spurious working papers were among the most vulnerable to abuse.

Preventing human trafficking must be given priority, but authorities must also help those who have found legitimate employment overseas, and protect them from harassment prior to their departure. The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration reopened this year the Labor and Assistance Center to validate all travel documents of OFWs who have already completed processing by the POEA. If a worker has gone through this validation process, there must be a simple system of verification at the airport that will prevent immigration authorities from harassing or extorting money from the OFW.

The campaign against human trafficking should not open workers to harassment and extortion. Hardships drive Filipinos to leave their own country for better opportunities overseas. Their sendoff must not add to those hardships.