By Junex Doronio
MANILA — More than 200 Filipino job seekers for Italy were allegedly defrauded of as much as €5,000 (P301,447.21) each by a Milan-based immigration consulting firm, Alpha Assistenza SRL.
This was revealed by the Consulate General of the Philippines in Milan as he reminded Filipinos seeking employment in Italy to be vigilant against fraudulent immigration and recruitment schemes.
Consul General Elmer Cato said cases of aggravated fraud are expected to be filed against Alpha Assistenza by the Italian lawyer hired by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to represent 100 complainants based in Italy.
They reportedly transacted with the agency on behalf of their families in the Philippines.
Apparently, the “scammers” had a field day after the announcement of decreto flussi program of the Italian government that allows the hiring of as many as 452,000 foreign workers in the next three years.
Cato said the consulate is now monitoring other individuals and agencies involved in “predatory practices” that take advantage of the vulnerabilities of Filipinos seeking alternative ways of bringing their families to Italy.
He also disclosed that certain individuals and agencies required a €500 reservation fee as soon as the decreto flussi program was announced.
Others were also reported to have charged as much as €5,000 to process work visa applications.
“The Consulate and the Migrant Workers Office of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) remind (our) kababayan of the need to exercise caution and vigilance to avoid being victimized by those who are expected to take advantage of the decreto flussi program by charging exorbitant fees to secure jobs for their relatives in the Philippines,” the Consulate said in its latest advisory.
It stressed: “While the Philippines is among 30 countries covered by the decreto flussi program, there is no assurance that applications for work visas will be approved.”
(AI/MNM)
