NCJ Number
196580
Date Published
April 2000
Length
24 pages
Annotation
After a review of the main human smuggling and trafficking issues, primarily involving women, in the Philippines, this paper considers the current state of knowledge regarding transnational organized crime and smuggling/trafficking activity in the Philippines.
Abstract
There are estimates that some 7 million Filipinos are now working overseas, and at least 2 million of them are in undocumented conditions. More than half of these workers are women, mostly aged 20 to 34 years. There are estimated to be approximately equal numbers of documented and undocumented female Filipino overseas workers. It is likely that women who migrate through illegal channels will find employment in sectors that are unregulated, such as work in private homes, the sex industry, or small businesses. These Filipino women appear to be concentrated in the destination countries of Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Italy, and Germany. There are negative consequences for the undocumented women who work in these fields. Domestic workers generally live with their employers, where they experience a lack of privacy combined with the power imbalance of being a foreign domestic worker in another person's home; further, some employers exploit this power imbalance by verbally, physically, or sexually abusing the worker, who may have little or no support networks and no opportunity for redress. Filipino women in the entertainment and sex industry are exposed to the risks of strong and abusive exploitation. The involvement of organized crime groups in smuggling and trafficking is to be expected, given the presence of many organized crime groups in the Philippines. Various studies have documented this involvement. The level and nature of this involvement, however, is unclear. There is a need for further, targeted research in this area in order to facilitate the development and implementation of appropriate criminal justice responses. 1 table and a 103-item bibliography