Filipina Workers Trafficked: Tales of Exploitation and Struggle in Syria

Entangled in a web of Syrian servitude, narratives unfold from Filipina laborers, recounting tales of anguish, violation, and captivity.

Numerous Filipina migrants, initially destined for employment in the United Arab Emirates, find themselves trapped in the labyrinth of trafficking, coerced into labor as domestic workers in Syria. Within this grim reality, they recount instances of physical and sexual assault perpetrated by their employers, coupled with the cruel denial of their promised wages. Insights gleaned from interviews with 17 such women conducted over Facebook Messenger reveal the harrowing extent of their plight.

Those fortunate enough to break free from their shackles seek refuge within the sanctuary of the Philippine Embassy in Damascus. Presently, approximately 35 women seek solace within its walls, their dreams of returning home indefinitely deferred.

Expressing deep concern for their welfare, Paul Raymund Cortes, the Philippines’ consul general in Dubai, underscores the importance of coordinated engagement with Philippine government agencies for overseas employment. He advocates for immediate recourse to official channels should individuals find themselves enticed into labor beyond the UAE’s borders.

Testimonies offered by the Filipinas unveil a distressing narrative. Initially arriving in the Middle East on 30-day tourist visas destined for the UAE, they soon find themselves confined by recruitment agencies until the expiration of their visas, rendering employment in the UAE an unattainable mirage.

Echoes of exploitation reverberate as the women disclose the price tags affixed to their beings, ranging between $8,000 and $10,000. Accounts from multiple sources identify the Damascus-based broker agency, Nobalaa Alsham, as the orchestrator of their sale.

However, Ramadan Mohammad, a legal representative for the agency, vehemently refutes these allegations, dismissing them as baseless. He asserts the women’s purported consent to employment in Syria, purportedly evidenced by video documentation. Yet, amidst his assurances of periodic wage disbursements and facilitated communication with their families, the shadows of doubt loom large over these claims.