DMW warns about illegal ‘third-country recruitment’ to Nigeria, West Africa
The Department of Migrant Workers (DWM) warned overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) on Monday to be cautious of “third-country recruitment” schemes by illegal recruiters and syndicates proliferating online following reports of a group of Filipino nationals being arrested in Abuja and Lagos in Nigeria on allegations of cybercrime, economic sabotage and violations of Nigerian immigration laws.
The department cited reports from the Philippine Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria, about potential human trafficking cases that involve Filipino nationals being sent to Nigeria and other countries in West Africa.
“These Filipinos were recruited to travel to Nigeria from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, using tourist visas, and were led to believe that their permits would be processed upon their arrival in Nigeria,” the DMW said in a statement, noting that the Nigerian government does not allow the conversion of tourist visas for employment purposes.
In order to work in Nigeria, Filipinos must obtain a visa that is subject to regularization from the Nigerian Embassy in the Philippines.
The DMW emphasized that recruitment through a third country is illegal if neither the recruiter nor the employer has proper authorization from the Philippine government.
“The DMW urges OFWs and would-be OFWs to exercise caution against dubious overseas job offers on social media platforms and to immediately report any suspicious recruitment activities to the respective Migrant Workers Office or Philippine Embassy that has jurisdiction over their job site,” the department said.
Suspicious activities related to illegal recruitment and human trafficking can be reported to the DMW Migrant Workers Protection Bureau via their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/dmwairtip, email at mwpb@dmw.gov.ph, or through their hotline number +63 2 8721-0619 for legal assistance.
