A Filipino migrant workers group in Thailand is calling on Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to take immediate action to assist 66 victims of human trafficking from the Philippines who have escaped from scam centers in Burma and reached the border of Thailand. On Oct. 23, 25 Filipino victims of human trafficking managed to escape from scam hubs and crossed into Thailand by boat.
“We are deeply concerned for our fellow Filipinos who have fallen victim to these trafficking schemes,” said Terry Carlos, the spokesperson of MIGRANTE Thailand. “This crisis will continue as long as the Marcos administration remains indifferent to the root causes of poverty that push Filipinos to seek risky jobs abroad.” The Philippines has carried out several repatriations for victims of human trafficking from cyber scam centers in the region.
According to recent media reports, over 200 Filipinos have crossed the border from Burma into Thailand so far, while nine human trafficking victims are currently under the protection of the Philippine Embassy in Yangon. According to Philippine media reports on Oct. 26, a total of 1,049 victims of various nationalities—including 66 Filipinos—have since fled and reached the Thai border.
