By Benjamin Wickham
WINDHOEK, March 25 — The Philippines Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is currently investigating allegations of illegal recruitment of 25 Filipino fishermen to Namibia. The DMW is probing Trioceanic Manning and Shipping Inc. for their failure to monitor the working conditions and provide assistance to the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) when their fishing vessel was caught by Namibian authorities illegally fishing in its territorial waters.
The 25 fishermen were deployed to Namibia in late 2020 and were successfully repatriated by the Philippine government in batches last week. The DMW has also provided financial assistance to the victims of the alleged illegal recruitment, with each fisherman receiving P25,000 in aid.
Illegal recruitment is a persistent issue in the Philippines, with many OFWs being lured by false promises of high-paying jobs abroad, only to end up in exploitative and dangerous working conditions. The Philippine government has been taking steps to crack down on illegal recruitment and protect the rights of its citizens working overseas. – Namibia Daily News
