Philippine Embassy, Ankara & IOM Meeting forges COOPERATION AGAINST Illegal Recruitment of OFWs 

22 June 2006 — Philippine Ambassador to Ankara, Turkey Bahnarim A. Guinomla reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that the Embassy met with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) last week to address the problem of illegal recruitment of Filipinos for European destinations and to further strengthen the cooperation between the Embassy and the IOM. 

Ambassador Guinomla said that he met with the IOM Chief of Mission in Ankara Mme. Marielle Sander-Linstrom after receiving reports of an increase in the number of Filipinos attempted to be trafficked to Europe through the Turkish city of Istanbul since the start of the year. 

The Ambassador informed the Department, “I informed Mme. Linstrom that for the whole of 2005, the Embassy handled 10 cases of Filipinos who had been promised entry into Europe through Istanbul, overstayed their visas or entered illegally from neighboring countries.  For the period of January to May of this year, though, 47 Filipinos have already been sent back to the Philippines after attempting to enter Europe through Istanbul.  I have asked for the support and the cooperation of the IOM to stop this illegal recruitment of Filipinos.”  

Ambassador Guinomla stated that based on the statements of trafficked Filipinos, each of them paid around PhP300,000 to their recruiters in Manila before they left for Istanbul.  When they arrived in Istanbul, they were then asked to further pay between €2,500 to €3,000 (US$3,125 – 3,750). 

The Ambassador related to Mme. Lindstrom that at least two of the victims claimed that they were told to cross the border to Bulgaria but were turned back while two others said they were asked to fly to Cairo where they were supposed to wait for their Schengen visas that turned out to be forged.  There were also others who were sent to Cyprus and who ended up with no decent employment there. 

Mme. Lindstrom replied that the IOM has been urging Turkish authorities to adopt coherent and comprehensive policies on issues related to migration.  She then assured the Ambassador that she will apprise IOM-Manila about his report, and added that she will assist the Embassy in discussing the matter with Turkish authorities. 

Consul General Alfonso A. Ver and Attaché Douveylito Tangcay accompanied the Ambassador Guinomla during his meeting with the IOM Chief.  END