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Eliminating human trafficking

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The Bureau of Immigration reports that its officers at airports rescued 688 possible victims of human trafficking and illegal recruitment in 2021.

In addition, Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said the agency deferred the departure of 13,680 passengers last year, mostly for having improper documentation.

BI’s Travel Control and Enforcement Unit said that of these, 491 were seen as possible human trafficking victims and were turned over to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking for assistance and investigation. 197 victims who presented counterfeit or questionable work permits and job contracts were also turned over to the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency.

“Some common schemes that these human traffickers and illegal recruiters would employ is the issuance of fake documents or tampered visas to their victims, falsified marriages, the continued attempt to use tourist visas to work abroad and duping underage Filipinos to work as household helpers,” Morente said.

The Philippines in 2021 maintained its Tier 1 ranking in the US State Department Trafficking in Persons report, which means that our government met the minimum standards in the elimination of trafficking. However, the same report also noted the lack of conviction of officials complicit in continued trafficking and vigorous investigation into labor trafficking crimes in the country.

Meeting the minimum standards in the elimination of trafficking is a notable achievement in a country where many of its people remain highly vulnerable to human trafficking and illegal recruiters. If the government can do more and increase its focus on the perpetrators, connivers and masterminds while preventing potential victims from leaving the country, we can come closer to the goal of eliminating this criminal activity that has long preyed on the poor and vulnerable Filipinos whose only mistake is dreaming of better lives in foreign lands.*

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March 2024
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