Seventeen Filipinos believed to be victims of human trafficking have been deported from Malaysia, according to the Bureau of Immigration.
In a statement released yesterday, the BI said the victims, who illegally stayed in Malaysia between 2022 and 2024, arrived in Zamboanga on Saturday onboard the motor vessel Antonia.
Four of the victims belonged to a family including the parents and their two sons. They were reportedly recruited in 2023 and left the country through a port in Jolo, Sulu onboard a speed boat.
The head of the family was promised a job at a palm oil company with a monthly salary of 2,000 ringgit.
The wife and two sons later followed and worked in the same company.
After two years, the family sought the help of authorities because they reportedly suffered abuses at the hands of their employer.
Six other deportees said they each paid 1,700 ringgit to be able to enter Malaysia illegally.
They said that as they were approaching the port, they were told to jump into the water to avoid detection by Malayasian authorities.
The victims said they were employed in a palm plantation owned by a Chinese national.
The rest entered Malaysia through the same illegal route. They were reportedly detained for five months before they were deported.
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said intensified monitoring is needed to stop human traffickers from exploiting the southern maritime route to Malaysia.
‘The backdoor remains a dangerous corridor for illegal migration and human trafficking. We call for a stronger coordination among law enforcement agencies, local government units and communities in the region to tighten security and prevent further abuse of our kababayan,’ Viado said.
He thanked the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking for mapping out high-risk points and working with police and local authorities to address the security gaps.
The victims were turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development for assistance and debriefing.