BI referred over 990 human trafficking victims to IACAT in 2024

INQUIRER file photo / ALEXIS CORPUZ

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Tuesday said it referred 998 victims of human trafficking to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking in 2024.

According to the BI, this marked a significant effort in the fight against exploitation and in maintaining the country’s Tier 1 status in the US Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons Report.

The BI also referred 215 Filipinos to the Department of Migrant Workers for illegal recruitment cases, emphasizing its commitment to safeguarding vulnerable individuals from exploitation.

“The bureau’s efforts to deny entry to sex tourists led to the exclusion of 140 sex offenders in 2024,” the BI added.

In a bid to combat child exploitation, the BI, in collaboration with the Council for the Welfare of Children, also launched the Makabata Helpline 1383.

According to the bureau, the helpline also aims to help report cases involving foreign nationals suspected of crimes against children.

It also exposed trafficking schemes this year, including fake pilgrimages, mail-order bride arrangements, and illegal surrogacy.

“As we move forward, the Bureau of Immigration is committed to modernization, efficiency, and ensuring the safety of every traveler,” BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said in a statement.

“Through innovation and collaboration, we are setting the stage for a new era of Philippine immigration and moving towards a Bagong Immigration, in line with the President’s vision of a Bagong Pilipinas,” he added.

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