REGIONAL
Advocates Philippines
Three Human Trafficking Victims Stopped In NAIA
Photo credit: BI
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) successfully stopped three suspected victims from leaving the country. The passengers, including two women bound for Lebanon and Syria, were apprehended by BI inspectors at NAIA's terminals 1 and 3 on June 9 and 10, respectively.
Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco revealed that the interception occurred during secondary inspections when the passengers confessed to their real purpose of travel. Initially claiming to be tourists, the individuals later admitted their intentions to work abroad.
One of the intercepted passengers posed as a nanny for a 16-year-old boy, but eventually admitted that she was bound for Syria to work as a domestic helper. Another passenger, who initially claimed to be vacationing in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, later confessed her true destination as Lebanon, where she had previously worked as a household helper.
The third passenger presented a counterfeit Saudi Arabian visa but later relinquished her United Arab Emirates (UAE) visa, disclosing her plan to work as a maid in Dubai.
Commissioner Tansingco stated, "In all these cases, the victims recounted that they were recruited via social media by illegal recruiters who processed all their travel documents. It is clear that they are all victims of human trafficking; thus, we could not allow them to leave."
The BI promptly handed over the three victims to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for further investigation. The IACAT, a collaborative effort of multiple government agencies, will examine the circumstances surrounding their recruitment and gather evidence to hold the illegal recruiters accountable.
Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco revealed that the interception occurred during secondary inspections when the passengers confessed to their real purpose of travel. Initially claiming to be tourists, the individuals later admitted their intentions to work abroad.
One of the intercepted passengers posed as a nanny for a 16-year-old boy, but eventually admitted that she was bound for Syria to work as a domestic helper. Another passenger, who initially claimed to be vacationing in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, later confessed her true destination as Lebanon, where she had previously worked as a household helper.
The third passenger presented a counterfeit Saudi Arabian visa but later relinquished her United Arab Emirates (UAE) visa, disclosing her plan to work as a maid in Dubai.
Commissioner Tansingco stated, "In all these cases, the victims recounted that they were recruited via social media by illegal recruiters who processed all their travel documents. It is clear that they are all victims of human trafficking; thus, we could not allow them to leave."
The BI promptly handed over the three victims to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for further investigation. The IACAT, a collaborative effort of multiple government agencies, will examine the circumstances surrounding their recruitment and gather evidence to hold the illegal recruiters accountable.
Jun 13, 2023
