MANILA—The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has reported the arrival of 14 repatriated Filipinos who were rescued after being forced to work in scam hubs overseas.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado raised concern over the growing number of repatriated individuals who allegedly exited the country through an illegal migration corridor, commonly known as the backdoor.

According to the BI’s Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section (I-PROBES), eight Filipino repatriates arrived from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on July 30 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1. The victims said they were promised jobs in Laos as office staff with a monthly salary of PHP 50,000.

The victims recounted that they traveled by boat from Dipolog to Zamboanga, and later boarded another boat bound for Malaysia. Upon arrival, they allegedly took a train to Perlis, near the Malaysia-Thailand border, where they were detained by authorities for nearly six months.

They were eventually able to reach out to the Philippine Embassy in Malaysia, which facilitated their repatriation. Verification by the BI’s forensic documents laboratory confirmed that their passports bore counterfeit Philippine immigration stamps.

On the same day, six more Filipinos returned from Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Of the six, only two departed via NAIA, while the remaining four reportedly traveled using small boats to reach Cambodia. They were promised jobs as customer service representatives with a salary of USD 1,000 per month.

Instead, they ended up working in scam operations and were subjected to abuse when they failed to meet quotas. The Philippine Embassy in Cambodia assisted in their safe return.

“It is heartbreaking to report that one of the victims, who is pregnant, was subjected to torture whenever she experienced pregnancy sickness,” said Viado. “Another victim, a man, was physically struck on the neck for failing to meet his assigned quotas,” he added.

Viado expressed dismay over the continued use of illegal exit routes by Filipinos, which often lead them into exploitative conditions.

“Being forced into illicit activities abroad under threat and abuse is a devastating reality for many,” said Viado. “By rejecting illegal methods, we can help break the cycle of trafficking and exploitation. The public is urged to reject such offers and turn only to legal channels for assistance,” he added.

After immigration processing, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), and Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) provided immediate assistance to the repatriated victims.