Several Filipinos who were lured into exploitative labor by human traffickers were safely repatriated from Malaysia, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported Wednesday.

The victims, primarily women aged 23 to 32, arrived 17 January aboard the MV Antonia. Investigations revealed the group had been deceived by false promises of legitimate employment in call centers and service industries, only to face abuse and exploitation upon arrival in their destination countries.

According to the BI, many of the victims bypassed lawful deployment channels, traveling through “backdoor” routes in Palawan and Mindanao to reach Malaysia. Some were intercepted by Malaysian authorities and spent months in jail for immigration violations before being deported.

“Traffickers take advantage of vulnerable Filipinos, lure them with fake jobs, and abandon them once they are trapped overseas,” Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said. “This administration will not tolerate that.”

Viado stressed that the victims were lured through online recruitment schemes. Upon their return, the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) provided psychosocial support and assistance in preparing legal action against their recruiters.

The commissioner issued a renewed warning to the public to avoid irregular migration corridors and verify all job offers through the Department of Migrant Workers.

“No legitimate overseas job requires you to travel through backdoor routes or irregular corridors,” Viado said.

“Our duty is to bring them home safely and make sure those responsible for trafficking are held accountable,” he added.