MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines on Wednesday, February 19, repatriated 12 Filipinos who were trafficked to Myanmar to work as online scammers in exploitative conditions, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) announced on Thursday, February 20.
The Filipinos, who were survivors of illegal recruitment and human trafficking, arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Wednesday and were given “immediate assistance” in psychosocial services, financial aid, and legal aid, by the DMW and other government agencies.
According to the DMW, the victims were recruited through Facebook by a Filipino offering jobs as customer sales representatives in Myanmar. When they got there, the were forced to work as online scammers without pay or rest days.
The trafficking survivors also endured physical abuse — being beaten with PVC sticks, and subjected to electric shocks. They were also sometimes forced to walk like ducks and frogs, jump, and squat for hours.
When they tried to seek permission to leave, their employer demanded $15,000. Unable to pay, the workers ran away and found refuge with the Myanmar military.
The Filipinos were among around 250 to 270 people held at the Myanmar scam center, and released at Thai border Phop Phraas.
The DMW reiterated its warning to Filipino jobseekers to be wary of dubious job offers on social media.
Trafficking related to scamming in Southeast Asia has long been reported. In 2022, the Philippine Senate began a probe into how Filipinos were similarly recruited on social media for seemingly legitimate jobs, trafficked out through informal ports, and brought to cryptocurrency scam hubs in Myanmar and Cambodia. (EXPLAINER: How OFWs are trafficked into crypto scam operations)
The human trafficking victims in these scam hubs come from different parts of the world, including most countries in Southeast Asia.
Since the end of January, Myanmar authorities have found at least 1,303 foreigners who entered the country illegally and worked in scam compounds in the Myawaddy area, according to state-run paper Global New Light of Myanmar. – with a report from Reuters/Rappler.com
Suspicious activities related to illegal recruitment and human trafficking can be reported to the DMW Migrant Workers Protection Bureau through their Facebook page, email at mwpb@dmw.gov.ph, or their hotline number +63 2 8721-0619.