heart games 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.

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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.

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“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.

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

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

The Marcos administration aims to reduce the poverty incidence between 8.8 and nine percent by 2028.

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“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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READ: BI’s one-stop shop at Naia Terminal 3 open for the holidays

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