Philippines repatriates over 200 Filipinos from Myanmar scam hubs

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

The Filipinos, believed to be human trafficking victims, are repatriated after being recruited through social media to work as customer sales representatives

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine government repatriated 206 Filipinos who were working in scam hubs in Myawaddy, Myanmar, and believed to be human trafficking survivors.

From Tuesday, March 25, to Wednesday, March 26, various agencies such as the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) facilitated the homecoming of the Filipinos. The first 30 arrived in Manila on Tuesday via Thailand, while 176 arrived on Wednesday.

According to the DMW, the survivors were given immediate assistance, including psychosocial services, financial aid, and legal aid from the multi-agency team that welcomed them at the airport. Each survivor received P60,000 in financial assistance from the DMW and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

The DMW also referred all to the DMW’s reintegration programs, which gives them options to participate in upskilling training with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

The migrant workers department said the Filipinos were recruited through WhatsApp, Facebook, and Telegram as customer sales representatives in Myanmar. Once they got there, they were exploited to work as online scammers.

Foreign Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega was in Myanmar and Thailand for a shuttle visit before the repatriations took place. The DFA said that Myanmar and Thai authorities acted swiftly to facilitate the Filipinos’ crossing from Myawaddy, a town that borders with Thailand, from March 24 to 25.

The DFA said that rapid response teams were positioned in Myawaddy, its Thai neighbor town Mae Sot, and in Bangkok. Overseas resident officials from the Philippine defense department and national police were also there to assist.

“The Philippine government is unwavering in its commitment to protecting Filipinos abroad. This successful operation reaffirms the country as the gold standard in migration protection mechanisms, ensuring that overseas Filipinos — particularly those identified as alleged victims of human trafficking—receive the prompt support and assistance needed,” the DFA said in a statement.

Both the DFA and DMW reminded Filipinos aspiring to go abroad to go through the proper channels and deployment procedures to ensure that they are protected from human trafficking.

The illegal recruitment of Filipinos and other nationals to work in Southeast Asian scam hubs has long been documented, with the Senate investigating the issue beginning in 2022. Survivors from Myanmar and Cambodia detailed being recruited for customer service representative jobs on social media, and then taking a sketchy journey to their final workplace. They were abused if they failed to scam people.

Myawaddy is where the Shwe Kokko Special Economic Zone, also known as Yatai New City, is located. Past victims pointed to Shwe Kokko as the area where they had worked. While further information on where the batch of 206 worked has yet to be confirmed, a February 26 Bangkok Post report said that 127 Filipinos were among the 7,000 foreigners rescued from Shwe Kokko and KK Park in Myawaddy.

The DMW said that Filipinos can verify the legitimacy of recruitment agencies through its website. The public can also report illegal recruitment activities through the DMW Migrant Workers Protection Bureau’s official channels, and hotline number +63 2 8721-0619. – Rappler.com