ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — The Philippine government returned seven nationals who were recently found in Iraq — from Erbil to Basra, the embassy in Baghdad announced late on Thursday.
"The Embassy is happy to send off tonight seven victims of human trafficking schemes in the Philippine - Iraq route. They all ran away to the Embassy between February and April of this year," it detailed.
"Many of them ran away to the Embassy with nothing but the clothes they were wearing. We also thank those who visited them to give kind words and counseling," the embassy said in a statement.
Philippine nationals offload luggage in Baghdad, Iraq, before flying home on May 2, 2019. Photo: Philippine Embassy in Baghdad
Philippine officials had to traverse Iraq to discover the whereabouts of its seven trafficked nationals.
"Lastly, we thank each of the runaways for helping out each other especially on times when Embassy personnel had to fly to other cases from up north in Erbil down south to Basra," the statement added.
Through illegal and legal migration many Filipinos and other people from elsewhere in southeast Asia enter Iraq seeking job opportunities in the service and labor sectors.
"The Embassy is happy to send off tonight seven victims of human trafficking schemes in the Philippine - Iraq route. They all ran away to the Embassy between February and April of this year," it detailed.
The Iraqi constitution prohibits human trafficking as the International Organization for Migration with the Kurdistan Region-based SEED NGO recently detailed the practice in a report.
"Many of them ran away to the Embassy with nothing but the clothes they were wearing. We also thank those who visited them to give kind words and counseling," the embassy said in a statement.
Philippine nationals offload luggage in Baghdad, Iraq, before flying home on May 2, 2019. Photo: Philippine Embassy in Baghdad
"We thank everyone notably our Iraqi friends who helped us during their three-month long stay especially those who provided them with clothes, luggage and shoes," the statement added.
Philippine officials had to traverse Iraq to discover the whereabouts of its seven trafficked nationals.
"Lastly, we thank each of the runaways for helping out each other especially on times when Embassy personnel had to fly to other cases from up north in Erbil down south to Basra," the statement added.
Through illegal and legal migration many Filipinos and other people from elsewhere in southeast Asia enter Iraq seeking job opportunities in the service and labor sectors.
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