More than 200 Pinoys in Myanmar scam hubs seek PH help

More than 200 Filipinos who were recruited to work in various scam farms in Myanmar have sought the Philippine government's assistance for repatriation, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Sunday.

As of October 24, 2025, the DFA said its embassy in Myanmar has received 222 active requests for assistance from Filipinos in scam hub areas, of which 66 were reported to have crossed to Thailand, and nine managed to travel to capital Yangon and are now under the embassy's custody.

READ: Nearly 700 foreigners flee to Thailand after Myanmar scam center raid

"The Department of Foreign Affairs, in coordination with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and other relevant agencies, remains committed to the safe repatriation of affected Filipinos through established government-to-government channels and continues to work with both Myanmar and Thai authorities to expedite the process," the DFA said in a statement.

The DFA said its diplomats are working with Myanmar authorities to finalize the deportation procedures for those currently in holding camps and to facilitate the rescue of an undetermined number of Filipinos who are still trapped in scam hub compounds.

Its embassy also continues to closely monitor the situation in Myawaddy, Myanmar, following a series of crackdown conducted by law enforcement authorities in scam hub compounds last October 20.

Traffickers in the past three years have exploited Filipinos and other nationals in forced labor in online scam operation facilities which have expanded rapidly in Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia.

The United Nations has expressed alarm over the thousands of trafficked individuals in the region, saying the situation has “reached the level of a humanitarian and human rights crisis.”

Many victims of scam farm operations who were initially promised legal jobs are kidnapped and sold to other fraudulent operations, according to the UN.

The DFA advised all Filipinos to go through proper foreign employment procedures established by the DMW before departing the country for overseas employment. 

Filipinos in scam hubs and their families who wish to request assistance for repatriation may contact the Philippine Embassy in Yangon through the following hotlines and email address:

• +959985210993
• +959985210998
• Viber +959409883434
• Viber +959985210996
• email through yangonpe.atn@dfa.gov.ph

—KG, GMA Integrated News