THE Department of Migrant Workers (DWM) reiterated its warning to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to be wary of ‘third country recruitment’ schemes by illegal recruiters and syndicates proliferating in social media platforms.
The DMW received reports from the Philippine Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria of possible human trafficking incidents involving Filipino nationals to Nigeria and other countries in West Africa.
Based on the reports, a group of Filipinos have been arrested in Abuja and Lagos on allegations of cybercrime, economic sabotage and violations of Nigerian immigration laws.
These Filipinos were recruited to travel to Nigeria from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, using tourist visas and were led to believe that their permits would be processed upon their arrival in Nigeria.
The Nigerian government does not allow conversion of tourist visas for the purpose of employment.
In order to work in Nigeria, a Filipino must first secure a Subject to Regularization (STR) visa from the Nigerian Embassy in the Philippines.
The DMW informs the public that recruitment through a third country is considered illegal recruitment if neither the recruiter nor the employer has proper authorization from the Philippine government.
Filipinos are always required to secure their overseas employment documents through the DMW accredited recruitment agencies to ensure their benefits, including protection from labor malpractice, and assistance in case of emergency.
The DMW urges OFWs and would-be OFWs to be more cautious against dubious overseas job offers on social media platforms and to immediately report any suspicious recruitment activities to the respective Migrant Workers Office and Philippine Embassy that has the jurisdiction over their jobsite.
Also, any suspicious activities pertaining to illegal recruitment and human trafficking can be reported to the DMW Migrant Workers Protection Bureau through their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/dmwairtip, email at mwpb@dmw.gov.ph or through their hotline number +63 2 8721-0619 for legal assistance.
