(CNN Philippines) — It’s a high-risk industry that generates $2 billion annually for criminal groups and abounds with human rights abuses and even deaths.
But despite these perils, a significant number of migrants use smugglers to cross borders in search of a better life, a new report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) found.
What’s more is that the complex phenomenon of migrant smuggling is posing a significant threat to Asia.
The report, which was released Tuesday (April 28), said that criminal networks are charging as high as $50,000 to get migrants to some destinations. But they end up in human trafficking situations.
“Far away from home and working illegally, smuggled migrants have little ability to assert basic rights and become vulnerable to abuse, trafficking, and exploitation,” the UNODC said.
The smuggled migrants also end up having “extensive debt” to the smugglers as they “enter into arrangements using typically limited savings… in the hope of creating a better future for themselves and their families,” Jeremy Douglas, UNODC Southeast Asia and the Pacific Regional Representative, said in the report.
Countries in Southeast Asia, the report added, continue “to serve as an important source, transit and destination for migrant smuggling, with the majority of smuggling taking place within the region but with routes also reaching countries as far as Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States.”
The Philippines was cited by the report as primarily a source country for irregular migration to other countries in Southeast and East Asia, Europe and the Gulf region.
An irregular migrant is someone lacks legal status in the host country due to unauthorized entry, a breach of a condition of entry, or the expiry of visa.
An estimated 10 percent of Filipinos overseas are irregular migrants, UNODC said citing a 2011 situation report.
Filipino diaspora
Economic conditions — such as poverty, high levels of unemployment, persecution, discrimination, and environmental degradation — fuel irregular migration.
And migrant smugglers and illegal recruiters exploit these conditions to their advantage.
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In 2013, public school teacher Loel Naparato was duped by an illegal recruiter who promised her a job abroad.
The recruiter communicated with her through e-mail promising her that she she would be able to work abroad in just 90 days as long as she pays the processing fees.
Naparato, who is a mother of three, immediately thought that she couldn’t let such an opportunity pass.
She loaned more than P500,000 to pay to the recruiter but she never left the country. Now she is deep in debt and is still paying for the loan.
According to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), recruitment offers sent through e-mail should be an automatic red flag — especially if the offers seem too good to be true.
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“Paminsan sasabihin kaya kita mapa-alis ng two months. Sabihin nila dun na sila kasi mapapa-alis ng two months. Sa iba, after a year pa. Not knowing na for example pag-process palang ng visa dito sa pilipinas will take about six months eh bago ma-release,” Atty. Celso Hernandez, officer-in-charge of the POEA’s Legal Department, said.
[Translation: “Sometimes they will say that they can send you abroad in just two months. They will then opt for that recruiter as they can migrate in just two months. In other agencies, it could take a year. Not knowing that the visa process alone in the Philippines will take about six months before it gets released.”]
The POEA also warned against house-to-house recruitments. It said that legitimate recruiters are only allowed to transact business at the registered address of the agency.
Warning to migrants
The POEA on Tuesday issued some reminders for overseas Filipino workers in dealing with recruiters.
Don’t apply with dubious agencies
Check with POEA whether the position you are applying for has an approved job order
Pay only the allowable placement fee
Pay the placement fee signing contract and demand an official receipt
Be wary of demands to remit immediately
Make sure you have a proper work visa/permit
Be wary of job offers using tourist or visit visas
Transact directly with government officers
CNN Philippines’ AC Nicholls contributed to this report.
