Filipinos victimized by unscrupulous employers in Brussels repatriated

MANILA, Philippines — Five overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were victims of labor exploitation in Poland have been repatriated, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a statement.

The unidentified OFWs returned to Manila on June 12, 2024. Two others were repatriated on May 27.

The DFA said the OFWs were recruited by an employer based in Poland and were subcontracted to Belgian companies. Flemish labor inspectors found that the Filipinos were provided spurious contracts and work permits and were living in poor conditions.

Through the assistance and support of the DFA Office of the Undersecretary for Migration Affairs, the Philippine Honorary Consulate in Flanders, the Migrant Workers Office in Berlin (MWO-Berlin), and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Filipinos were repatriated and given support to restart their lives.

OFWs in Europe are encouraged to ensure that their work contracts and A1 permits or residence IDs are valid.