Philippines embassy sends back seven human trafficking victims from Iraq

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Embassy of Philippines in Iraq on Thursday announced that they had helped send back seven Filipino victims of human trafficking who were brought to Iraq.

The diplomatic mission did not offer details about the gender of the victims or how and when they were brought to Iraq. However, it noted that they had fled to the Embassy in the past few months with nothing but the clothes on their backs, asking for help.

“They all fled to the Embassy between February and April of this year,” a statement the Philippines embassy issued, of which Kurdistan 24 received a copy, read.

“We thank everyone, notably our Iraqi friends, who helped us during their three-month-long stay, especially those who provided them with clothes, luggage, and shoes,” it continued.

“Many of them ran away to the Embassy with nothing but the clothes they were wearing,” the statement added. “We also thank those who visited them to give kind words and counseling.”

The statement also thanked the victims for assisting each other “especially during times when Embassy personnel had to fly to other cases from up north in Erbil down south to Basra.”

There are thousands of Philippine nationals who work in different sectors across the autonomous Kurdistan Region and Iraq.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany