MORE THAN 2,000 FILIPINO WORKERS SNEAK INTO IRAQ DESPITE BAN
MANILA, June 15, 2005 (STAR) (AFP) - More than 2,000 Filipino workers have sneaked into Iraq to work for US military camps despite a government ban imposed last year, recruitment agencies said Tuesday.The workers leave the country with forged travel papers and use Dubai as a jump-off point into Iraq, according to formal complaints presented by recruitment agencies to a government task force enforcing the travel ban.
On average 100 Filipinos have been leaving for Iraq every month to work in some 60 US military-run camps in Iraq, they said.
OFWs continue to slip into Iraq, recruiters say By Mayen Jaymalin The Philippine Star 06/15/2005
Almost a year after the government imposed a ban on the entry of Filipino workers into Iraq, hundreds of Filipinos continue to illegally slip into the war-torn country.
Local recruitment agencies yesterday reported that a monthly average of 100 Filipino workers were able to enter Iraq despite the existing deployment ban.
"Based on information we received, about 800 OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers) slipped into Iraq in the last eight months or an average of 100 workers a month," a recruitment official said on condition of anonymity.
The official noted that most of the OFWs fly to Dubai through United Arab Emirates (UAE) before going to Iraq.
"Unscrupulous travel agencies usually facilitate the visit visas to Dubai, which is now considered as a jump-off point for Filipino workers who enter Iraq illegally," the official added.
He pointed out that many companies in Dubai are currently recruiting foreign workers for their various construction projects in Iraq.
According to the official, travel agencies charge aspiring OFWs P60,000 for a visit visa to Dubai. The amount reportedly includes the plane ticket and escort fee for airport officials who accompany them to the plane.
The official said recruitment agencies are now calling on the Presidential Anti-Illegal Recruitment Task Force (PAIRTF) to look into the illegal activities of some of these travel agencies.
Recruitment agencies have said it would be better for the government to lift the ban to ensure the welfare of Filipino workers if it could not stop the illegal deployment.
The government previously admitted to having difficulty in preventing OFWs from entering Iraq despite the ban.
There are over 6,000 Filipinos currently employed in Iraq. About a third of them are undocumented.
Reported by: Sol Jose Vanzi
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