Filipino helpers in Hong Kong are being tricked with the promise of better-paying jobs in Russia, a senior Philippine official confirmed.
一名菲律宾高级官员证实,在香港,菲律宾的助手们被骗了,他们承诺要在俄罗斯找到更好的工作。
Citing data from the Philippine embassy in Moscow, the anonymous official told South China Morning Postthat over 4,000 undocumented Filipinos are currently working in Russia. Most of them are former domestic helpers in Hong Kong.
这位匿名官员援引菲律宾驻莫斯科大使馆的数据告诉《南华早报》(South China Morning post),超过4000名未登记的菲律宾人目前在俄罗斯工作。他们中的大多数人都是香港的家庭佣工。
According to the official, this trafficking of Filipinos from Hong Kong to Russia has been happening for seven years. Some are also trafficked to the country from Singapore and Taipei.
据这位官员说,从香港到俄罗斯的菲律宾人口贩卖已经持续了7年。一些人还被从新加坡和台北贩运到该国。
Meanwhile, others are being trafficked from Hong Kong to Brazil and Turkey, the official said.
与此同时,另一些人则被从香港贩运到巴西和土耳其。
For one, a Filipina helper identified as “Dang” told the Post that a local agent duped her into flying to Russia for a job that promised a bigger salary. She was then working in Hong Kong.
其中一位名叫“Dang”的菲律宾女佣告诉《邮报》,一名当地特工欺骗了她,让她飞到俄罗斯去找一份薪水更高的工作。她当时在香港工作。
Dang, however, was only paid similarly and incurred debts as a result. Unfortunately, she is left with no other option at the moment.
然而,当党仅仅支付了类似的费用,并由此产生了债务。不幸的是,她目前没有别的选择。
“Even if I want to go back home to the Philippines or to Hong Kong, it’s impossible because we need first to pay all the debts [incurred] in applying to go to Russia,” Dang said.
“即使我想回到菲律宾或香港,这是不可能的,因为我们首先需要支付申请去俄罗斯的所有债务,”当说。
“That’s why maybe it’s much better for me to stay and work illegally for a few more years until my children finish their studies [in the Philippines] and pay all our debts and save a little money that I can use when I go back home.”
“这就是为什么在我的孩子们完成他们的学业(在菲律宾),并支付我们所有的债务,并攒下一点钱,当我回家的时候,我可能会更好地呆在那里,并非法工作几年。
Matt Friedman, CEO of the Mekong Club, a watchdog group that informs the public of human trafficking, said recruitment agents would lie about job offers suited to a victim’s preference.
“湄公河俱乐部”的首席执行官马特·弗里德曼(Matt Friedman)表示,招聘代理将谎报符合受害者喜好的工作。
[ct]“They would prey on vulnerable domestic helpers who might want more money or better jobs, for example as a social worker or teacher,”Friedman said.
Friedman说:“他们会捕食脆弱的家庭帮助者,他们可能想要更多的钱或更好的工作,例如作为一名社会工作者或教师。”
“They were made to believe they could easily repay the debts from agency fees … and would eventually be held in a foreign country to repay them,”he added. “It’s the first time I’ve heard the Philippine consulate confirming the situation … which has been discussed in the NGO community for years.”
“他们相信他们可以很容易地从机构费用偿还债务…在国外,最终将偿还他们,”他补充道。“这是我第一次听说菲律宾领事馆确认情况…在非政府组织社区已讨论多年。”
Jalilo Dela Torre of the Philippine consulate in Hong Kong echoed the situation and revealed that intermediaries earn 28,000 Hong Kong dollars to 43,000 Hong Kong dollars ($3,585-$5,506) in the bogus recruitment process. He said that victims often borrow from “financial institutions or even loan sharks.”
菲律宾驻香港总领事馆的托瑞(Jalilo Dela Torre)回应了这一情况,并透露,在虚假招聘过程中,中介人的收入为2.8万港元,至43000港元(合3,585美元至5,506美元)。他说,受害者经常向“金融机构,甚至是高利贷者”借款。
The alleged trafficking of Filipino domestic helpers came as the Philippine government suspended the processing of overseas employment certificates from Nov. 13 to Dec. 1. This ban, which aims to probe on anomalous recruitment schemes, may be extended as necessary.
菲律宾政府在11月13日至12月1日暂停了海外就业证书的处理工作。这项旨在调查异常招聘计划的禁令,可能会在必要时延长。
Filipinos in Hong Kong gathered outside the Philippine consulate in Admiralty on Wednesday to demand payment for outbound workers by the labor export ban.
周三,菲律宾的菲律宾人聚集在菲律宾领事馆外,要求劳工出口禁令向海外工人支付工资。
“Upon receipt of complaints, the Labour Department will [initiate] investigations promptly on suspected overcharging by employment agencies,”a Hong Kong government spokesman said.
一名香港政府发言人表示:“在收到投诉后,劳工处将立即展开调查,怀疑就业机构涉嫌过度收费。”
Silvestre Bello III, secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment, said in press release:
劳工和就业司司长Silvestre Bello III在新闻发布会上说:
“We are taking this important action in view of the persistent reports of illegal recruitment activities including direct hires, and in order to protect the public from the pernicious activities of certain unscrupulous individuals preying on our OFWs.”
“我们正在采取这一重要行动,以了解包括直接雇佣在内的非法招聘活动的持续报告,以及为了保护公众免受某些肆无忌惮的人在我们的OFWs上的有害活动。”
However, excluded from the suspension are members of diplomatic corps, including royal families, as well as workers hired by international organizations and sea-based recruitment agencies, CNN Philippinesreported.
然而,美国有线电视新闻网(CNN)报道称,包括皇室在内的外交使团成员,以及国际组织和海基招聘机构雇佣的工人都被排除在外。