Mission for Migrant Workers: “Illegal recruitment to Macau is being ignored”

The Philippines Government is ignoring the victims of illegal recruitment in Macau, the executive director of the Mission for Migrant Workers (MFMW) based in Hong Kong, Cynthia Tellez, said in a statement published on the MFMW’s website.
Almost 50 Filipinos were illegally recruited to Macau during the last quarter of 2009 as recorded by the association. “But the number should be bigger as not all have sought assistance to the MFMW’s networks in the territory. Yet, assistance to the victims even for as basic as food and shelter, air tickets back home is nil. What more with prosecuting the illegal recruiters,” Cynthia Tellez pointed out.
For that reason, MFMW called on the Philippines Government to provide immediate assistance, such as temporary shelter, legal counsel and air passage, to all victims of illegal recruitment, and to arrest and prosecute all illegal recruiters of Filipinos in Macau.
In addition, the association demanded the Philippines Consulate General in Macau pay more attention to the victims as well. “Illegal recruitment in Macau has been rampant even before the Consulate was established in the territory, and this the PCG-Macau should be aware of and should be prepared to assist because the victims are Filipinos. The latter mainly rely on handouts from compatriots and religious service providers such as the Pastoral Center,” she said.
Eighteen people were illegally recruited in the first week of December 2009 and they are still in Macau, the association guaranteed. Of these, 13 have sought the assistance of the Filipino Catholic Pastoral Center and Migrante Macau.
Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) of the Philippines Government has warned its citizens seeking jobs abroad about a new recruitment scam which the Philippine embassy in Germany uncovered. In a statement, the DFA said two Filipinos contacted the embassy for help in verifying the status of a company named Markel-Power International, located in the northern German city of Bremen, which had informed the two through email that they would be hired by the firm.