The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) disclosed on Wednesday that 52 of the 75 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were victims of a human trafficking cyber scam network in Laos have been repatriated.
Authorities are collecting affidavits from the victims to identify those responsible for illegally recruiting Filipinos to Laos.
According to DMW undersecretary Bernard Olalia, the cases of the 75 victims are similar to the previous Filipinos recruited to Laos.
“They are offered to work as customer service relations officers, and they will only find out they will work as a syndicate upon arrival,” Olalia said.
He added that the Department of Justice (DoJ) is assisting in identifying and pursuing legal action against the illegal recruiters.
“We will advise them on the agencies and the legitimate migration with valid registered job orders,” OIalia said.
Individuals who still wish to work abroad will be provided with referrals to legitimate agencies with valid registered job orders.
Financial assistance and psychosocial support will be provided to the repatriated OFWs.
The Laos crackdown on the illegal cyber scam network took place last 24 August in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone on the border of Myanmar and Thailand.
In other developments, at least 16 OFWs from Lebanon arrived at NAIA Terminal 3 on the evening of 28 August who are among the Filipinos who voluntarily availed the government’s repatriation program.
The repatriates received immediate financial aid totaling P150,000 from both the DMW and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), while the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) also provided P20,000 in financial assistance.
Repatriates from this batch have brought the total number of OFWs returning from Lebanon to 305 since the conflict between Israel and Hamas began in October 2023.