Migrante Thailand calls on the Marcos administration to take swift action on the worsening human trafficking crisis victimizing Filipinos in Myanmar and other countries in Southeast Asia.
Based on state data, between October 23 and 26, more than 250 Filipino human trafficking victims reached the border of Thailand and are currently being processed for repatriation to the Philippines. Many Filipinos remain detained in Myanmar. They are among over 1,000 human trafficking victims of various nationalities who have yet to be rescued.
Migrante Thailand is deeply concerned about the condition of fellow migrants victimized by trafficking. When they received reports about the situation of the victims, they immediately organized a delegation to visit the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) in Bangkok to raise the concerns of the victims’ relatives. However, instead of being heard, they were told to submit a formal request by email since no one was available to accommodate them.
“In light of these developments, it is disheartening to see the government’s apparent insensitivity toward the suffering of our trafficked compatriots. Instead of prioritizing urgent assistance for distressed Filipinos, the MWO seems more focused on collecting processing fees from migrant workers,” Migrante Thailand spokesperson Terry Carlo said.
“Although campaigns against human trafficking and illegal recruitment are important, all these efforts will remain useless and superficial as long as the US-Marcos regime remains indifferent to the root cause of poverty that pushes Filipinos to seek precarious jobs abroad. As long as the government clings to its Labor Export Program—one that values remittances over the rights and welfare of overseas Filipinos—our people will remain vulnerable to exploitation and abuse,” Carlo stated.
