The Department of Migrant Workers, or DMW, is intensifying its fight against illegal recruitment, announcing the closure of six agencies in 2023.

This comes amid efforts to improve services for overseas Filipino workers, including enhanced staffing at the Overseas Filipino Workers Hospital (OFW Hospital) in Pampanga.

“For the last four months, we have four (closures). For 2023, six,” declared DMW Officer-in-Charge Hans Leo Cacdac in a recent interview, highlighting the agency’s increased crackdown on illegal recruiters.

Cacdac emphasized the DMW’s commitment to curbing illegal recruitment, which he described as “rampant.” He pointed to the closure of Legal Connect Travel Consultancy in Quezon City on Tuesday as an example.

The recruitment agency allegedly charged exorbitant fees ranging from P200,000 to P380,000 for non-existent jobs in Italy and Malta, based on complaints by multiple applicants.