EDITORIAL – Human trafficking

Filipino workers have been killed and abducted in Iraq. The Philippine government has warned that other kidnap victims may not be as lucky as truck driver Angelo de la Cruz, who received a house and lot plus education assistance for his children after being freed by Iraqi captors in exchange for the pullout of the Philippine humanitarian contingent from Iraq.

Yet Filipinos continue to defy Manila’s ban on the deployment of workers to Iraq. High security risks also mean high pay in what has to be the most dangerous place in the world. The prospect of making a fast buck lured Angelo de la Cruz to Iraq, and continues to lure Filipino workers to the war-torn country despite the continuing violence. Reports said truck drivers based in Saudi Arabia like De la Cruz could earn as much as $1,000 per trip if they crossed the border to Iraq to deliver supplies.

The government has little control over Filipinos who enter Iraq from neighboring countries where they hold regular jobs. But the government can stop the departure from the Philippines of workers who defy the deployment ban by pretending that they will work in Middle Eastern countries other than Iraq.

Prospective overseas workers defy the ban with the help and encouragement of unscrupulous recruiters, who also earn big bucks by bringing workers to Iraq. The Philippine government is currently helping 88 Filipinos who are being held by Emirates immigration authorities at the Dubai airport after it was learned that their final destination was Iraq. The workers, who will be deported, said they were recruited by an agency in Paco, Manila, and their employment in Iraq was supposed to be facilitated by a Jordanian who was also held at the Dubai airport.

The recruitment agency is sure to have already received full payment for the travel and work documents of the 88 Filipinos. Getting back that money could require long court proceedings. Even if the placement fees are refunded in full, however, the government must prosecute the owner of the recruitment agency for defying the deployment ban and attempting to put the 88 workers at risk in Iraq. Illegal recruitment is a form of human trafficking, and perpetrators must be caught and punished.