Envoys urge Pinoys in US to report traffickers, exploiters

Consular officers of the United States Embassy in Manila are urging Filipino victims in the US to report human traffickers and labor exploiters to authorities.

During a workshop conducted by several consular officers on Nonimmigrant Worker Visas at the Hyatt Hotel Manila on Friday, an American consul officer said the primary number that Filipinos in the US should remember is 911.

Greg Cowan, officer of the Nonimmigrant Visa (NIV) Unit of the US Embassy, said human trafficking victims who are in immediate physical danger and need urgent help should call 911 for assistance.

911 is for emergency circumstances only. Prank and non-emergency calls to this number is considered a crime.

Citing information from the so-called “Wilberforce pamphlet,” Cowan said the other numbers to call are:

  • National Human Trafficking Resource Center (run by a non-government organization) 1-888-373-7888, and
  • Trafficking in Persons and Worker Exploitation (run by the US Department of Justice) 1-888-428-7581

The pamphlet, named after William Wilberforce, an English politician who advocated for an end to slavery in the 1700s, is given to applicants for non-immigrant visas such as:

  • A-3, G-5, and B-1 domestic employee visa
  • H-1 B and H-1 B1 visas for those in specialty occupations such as fashion modelling
  • H-2A temporary agricultural worker visa
  • H-2B temporary non-agricultural worker visa
  • J-1 exchange visitor visa

Cowan said no matter what type of visa a foreigner has in the US, he has several rights that should not be violated such as:

  • right to be paid;
  • right not to be discriminated against;
  • right to work in a safe and healthy environment;
  • right to form a union, and
  • right to leave abusive employers.

Human trafficking

The Wilberforce pamphlet said “human trafficking occurs whenever a person is recruited, transported, or kept against his or her will for purposes of exploitation.

Human traffickers are people who beat or physically or sexually abuse a worker. Traffickers may also lock in a worker or threaten to harm his family.

These abusive employers may also deny workers adequate food, sleep, or medical care.

Victims of human trafficking in the US are eligible for benefits and immigration remedies, such as the granting of the special T visa for those proven to be trafficking victims.

Victims will also be entitled to housing, medical and dental care, employment assistance, legal help, and other services. —KBK, GMA News

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