MANILA, Philippines – Thirty-five Filipino workers returned home from Cambodia on New Year’s Eve after authorities rescued them from illegal recruitment and online scam operations. Their repatriation highlighted the risks facing migrant workers in Southeast Asia.

Most of the workers were victims of human trafficking, lured abroad with promises of legitimate jobs only to be forced into scam-related work, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said.

One had recently completed a prison sentence in Cambodia linked to a money laundering case.

The workers arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in batches on Wednesday, December 31, with at least two groups transiting through Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, and a third flying direct from Phnom Penh.

The repatriation followed similar rescues, including nine Filipinos brought back from Nigeria on December 27.

Authorities have urged jobseekers to verify overseas employment offers through official channels, warning that unregistered recruiters and online ads are major drivers of trafficking.

For the workers, the immediate priority was getting home. Flanked by social workers, many walked into the arrival area to reunite with their families after periods of uncertainty. – Rappler.com