It is a tough reality that many Filipinos wish they could work abroad so they can have better salaries than what they are receiving in the Philippines. But it is important to note that not everyone is fit to be an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) and not everyone hits the proverbial jackpot while abroad.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) continues to warn Filipinos against accepting seemingly authentic but actually bogus job offers in Dubai as such could lead to trafficking to Iraq.
It can be recalled that the Philippine government had issued a total ban in new deployments of OFWs to Iraq due to the security situation in the country. Recently, the total ban has been lifted, with some jobs already made available for Pinoy workers again.
But the DFA shared that several syndicates in Dubai are offering bogus jobs to Filipinos who are rather excited to find a job.
“Trafficking syndicates have been luring victims by offering to advance the cost of their travel to Dubai where high-paying jobs are supposed to be waiting for them,” the DFA declared in a statement.
The tell-tale sign that the job offer is not for real is that the ‘recruitment agency’ will give the workers tourist visas. Once in Dubai, they are made to work without pay and are made to believe that this is part of their ‘training’.
After the ‘training’ is done and the worker’s tourist visa is nearly expired, the OFWs are assigned to jobs in Iraq. If they refuse, they are asked by the syndicate to pay $3,000; thus, many eventually agree because they don’t have that amount at all.
According to the DFA, the workers are smuggled from Dubai through Erbil in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Then, they are taken to Baghdad or Basra before they are assigned to their final employers.
While they could still get lucky and find good employers who would pay them well, there is no assurance with regard to their safety, salary, and other benefits.
To avoid getting duped by these fake agencies, check if they are accredited with the POEA.
Image credits: Reuters, National Drillers, Paid Social Media Jobs
