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DMW WARNS THAT SCAM-HUB RECRUITS CAN FACE DETENTION BEFORE RETURNING HOME
Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac has warned that Filipinos recruited into scam operations abroad may face legal proceedings that delay their return to the Philippines. In a November 9 interview reported the following day, he said authorities in countries including Myanmar and Cambodia can treat people working in those operations as offenders, even when Philippine officials regard them as trafficking victims.
Cacdac said this difference complicates rescue and repatriation. His account describes the obstacles the Department of Migrant Workers is encountering; it does not mean every Filipino caught in a raid knowingly joined a criminal operation or has been found guilty.
The department said it was coordinating with Philippine embassies and migrant-worker offices to monitor affected Filipinos. That work includes people detained abroad, whose return can depend on proceedings in the host country. Cacdac did not provide a date by which all affected workers could come home.
For people considering an overseas offer, his advice was to use a licensed recruitment agency, have the employment contract processed through the DMW, and check that the work visa and contract describe the same job. The warning reaches beyond whether a promised salary looks attractive: an undocumented arrangement can leave a worker dependent on the recruiter after arrival, when leaving may be much harder.
WHAT TO WATCH
Case-specific updates from the DMW and embassies on assistance, detention and release. Families need confirmation about their relative's situation and the steps still required, rather than assuming that a rescue announcement means a flight home has been arranged.