Filipinos warned of traffickers luring victims with job offers
■ ■ ■ Applicants are not provided copies of their visas to the intended destination. Vague information regarding the nature of work offered. Applicants are not in control of their own identification documents and are advised to claim to authorities that he or she is just a tourist visiting a particular city
The agency recruiting them has no permanent address, and their agents do not reveal their full names and contact details, applicants are advised to choose particular immigration lines during departure from the Philippines Victims are told that there is no Philippines Embassy in Iraq and applicants must coordinate with particular individuals in case of emergencies.
Earlier this year, a trafficking victim detained at Basra Prison was finally released for deportation, but only after three months of detention for visa violations. She came to Iraq using a Kurdistan visit visa that was not valid for her stay in Basra from July 2018.
Jail and hefty penalty