Bureau of Immigration (BI) authorities are warning Filipinos against illegal “backdoor” exit schemes amid the continued repatriation of trafficking victims.
The warning follows a report from the agency’s Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section (I-PROBES) on the repatriation of a 24-year-old Filipina who arrived on March 23.
BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said the victim arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 via a Hong Kong–Philippines flight from Cambodia.
Citing the report, Sandoval said the victim departed the country on May 31 last year via boat from Tawi-Tawi, passing through Sabah, Kota Kinabalu and Kuala Lumpur before reaching Phnom Penh and Bavet in Cambodia.
The victim disclosed that she was recruited online through Telegram for a supposed receptionist position in Myanmar, with a promised salary ranging from USD 900 to USD 1,200. After being coerced into working as a love scam operator for two months, she was subsequently sold to another company, where she was again forced to engage in scam activities for additional months.
The victim added that she traveled by boat with several unidentified Filipino companions who likewise departed through illegal routes en route to Myanmar.
Sandoval underscored that individuals who exit the country through unauthorized means are at greater risk of exploitation, as they are deprived of legal safeguards and government assistance abroad.
