LONDON–The Philippine Embassy here has strongly warned Filipino job seekers against dealing with online job orders and employment opportunities for positions in the United Kingdom such as au pairs, drivers, gardeners, cleaners, caregivers, nannies, or private nurses as advertised by online recruitment agencies.
Strict UK migration policy currently prohibits the recruitment of workers from countries not part of the European Union/European Economic Area, such as the Philippines, if the jobs and skills are not included in the UK Visas and Immigration Shortage Occupation list.
The Embassy has seen an increase in cases of fraudulent overseas recruitment activities and has reported them to Philippine and British law enforcement authorities.
“It is disheartening to see our kababayans duped out of their hard-earned money by nefarious online scammers who offer non-existent jobs,” said Philippine Ambassador Antonio Lagdameo. “The Embassy urges interested applicants for employment opportunities in the UK to exercise due vigilance by verifying first with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration before parting with their funds,” he added.
However, most victims decide against pressing charges against the perpetrators, while authorities admit the task of running after the culprits would be extremely complex.
“This is why we have repeatedly advised applicants for overseas work to heed the guidance and policies of POEA on seeking overseas employment,” said Labor Attaché Reydeluz Conferido. “We warn them against dealing with unscrupulous individuals who offer jobs online because it is almost impossible to ascertain the true identities of these online recruiters.”
The Embassy urges all applicants to check with POLO or POEA on the legitimacy of recruitment agencies and to immediately report suspicious recruitment activities to the proper authorities. All applicants may refer to www.poea.gov.ph for a complete list of valid job orders and accredited recruitment agencies for the United Kingdom. (Stacy Danika Garcia)
