Alleged human trafficking victim thankful for UAE's amnesty program

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – A 33-year-old single mother from Pampanga, who ended up overstaying for six years after falling victim to alleged human trafficking activities, said she is grateful the government here has implemented an amnesty program that would finally enable her to live a normal life.

“I’m so grateful and blessed to be among those given a chance to stay in the UAE legally through the amnesty program,” Richelle Urian Reolalas said in a mix of English and the vernacular.

“I'm very excited and am looking forward to get a full-time work to pursue all my plans and dreams,” she added.

Reolalas said she could not go home during those six years because of pressing necessities back home.

These included raising a daughter who was just nine years old when she left in August 2018 to work in Dubai as house help.

“Hindi po ako puwedeng umuwi dahil may anak akong umaasa sa akin,” Reolalas said. (I could not go home because I have a daughter counting on me.)

Overstaying in the UAE carries penalties of AED50 per day, legal actions and a ban on re-entry. Having been overstaying for six years, Reolalas would have faced fines of up to AED109,500 –  and counting for each day she kept staying illegally.

The ongoing amnesty, which started on Sept. 1, 2024 and will end on Oct. 31, 2024, waives all penalties. It also gives applicants a clean slate plus options to return home and come back to start again or stay in the UAE provided they get a new visa.

How it started

Reolalas said she decided to take her chances in Dubai after coming across an ad on Facebook in the Philippines offering jobs for domestic helpers in the UAE in 2018.

Following the instructions on the said ad, she then met a recruitment agent in Batangas, who processed her documents. She said the only payment she made was for her medical screening.

“One week lang, nakalipad na ako,” she said. (In only a week’s time, I was able to fly.)

Upon arrival at the Dubai International Airport on the evening of Aug. 9, 2018, Reolalas said someone, who turned out to be the agent’s driver, picked her up and dropped her at a building in Ajman housing an employment agency office where recruits were apparently held prior to being assigned to an employer. 

Something was wrong

Reolalas recalled how her stomach was in knots while at the holding facility that night because she sensed something was wrong.

“May walo hanggang siyam na mga Pinay sa isang kwarto. At may isang kwarto naman ng agent. Sabi ng mga Pinay ay naghihintay sila na magkaroon ng sponsor. Namimili po kasi ang mga sponsors through our CVs at pictures,” Reolalas recounted.

(There were eight to nine Filipinas in a room. There was another room where the agent was. The Filipinas said they were waiting for sponsors. The sponsors make a choice based on our CVs and pictures.)

During her stay, Reolalas said she learned that Filipinas returned by sponsors were locked in a room, their phones taken away.

Reolalas, who was assigned to a family in Sharjah a week after she arrived, was herself, returned by her sponsor to the agency just a day later. 

“Ang dami kong concern sa kanya (employer), sir, about sa work. So, parang hindi niya nagustuhan. Tinawagan niya ang agent at pinabalik po niya ako sa agency sa driver nila,” she explained.

(I had many concerns that I raised to my employer about the work. He didn’t like it. He called the agent and asked the family driver to drop me back at the agency.)

Runaway

Fearing reprisals, she teamed up with a fellow Filipina a few days later and ran away. 

“Pinagkaisahan po namin 'yung nagbabantay sa’min, sir, para makuha ang susi at makatakas po kami. Nu'ng naliligo po siya, sir, may humihila sa pinto ng CR para if ever ay hindi niya mabuksan agad. At 'yung susi ng main door, nakita po namin kung saan niya tinago kaya nakalabas po kami. Nagdahan-dahan po kaming umalis kasi 'yung agent nasa kabilang kwarto lang din po,” Reolalas narrated.

(We ganged up on the guard. Somebody stood by the shower room’s door while he was having a bath and pulled it so that he couldn’t immediately get out. We saw where he hid the front door key and we took it. We stealthily left because the agent was just in the other room.)

Reolalas said they walked away from the building, hailed a cab then headed to a relative of the fellow Filipina whom she ran away with. All documents, including her passport, were left behind.

2018 amnesty

Running away was just half the story.

Reolalas said she wanted to sign up during the 2018 amnesty but was not qualified because it only covered those who have ran away or violated visa rules before August of that year.

Reolalas went into hiding, worked here and there as nanny and in some instances was not paid because her employer knew she was illegally staying in the country.

She also tried applying for other jobs but most of the time was rejected because she had no legal papers and had a case of absconding filed against her for running away. Also, it was also difficult to hire an overstayer.

Taken advantage of

There were those who hired her but only took advantage of her situation. “May mga taong talagang mapang-abuso at ginagamit lang 'yung sitwasyon mo. Pagta-trabahuhin ka nila, papangakuan na aayusin ang papel mo. Pero hindi naman ginagawa,” Reolalas said.

(There were those who really were abusive. They’d exploit your situation. They’d let you work, promising to sort out your papers but actually would do nothing about it.)

Reolalas said she worked at a travel and tours company but resigned after four months because “they didn’t give my salary for two months and made installments of two to four payments in the succeeding months.”

She also worked as receptionist at a ladies’ salon but stayed for just two months because of the same experience.

Prayed hard not to be arrested

Reolalas meantime said she was fortunate not to have been arrested during the years as she commuted to her place of underground work.

“I just prayed harder every time I was on the bus or metro. I told myself if it was God’s will that I be arrested, then so be it, I’ll go home. But no, He has a purpose. That’s why I am still here,” she said in a mix of English and the vernacular.

Further, stories abound about runaways resorting to having lovers to survive – some unfortunately abandoned after getting pregnant.

“‘Yan po ang never ko talaga ginawa, sir. Dahil kaya ko naman pong magtrabaho at ayoko ko po na ang ipadala at ipakain sa anak ko ay galing sa ibang tao at 'di ko pinagpaguran. Thank God dahil binigyan niya ko ng strength and wisdom at nakaka-survive ako kahit mag-isa po ako dito sa UAE.

“I’m so blessed din po sa mga ka-church ko na walang sawang nagpe-pray po sa akin every time na napanghihinaan ako ng loob at nawawalan na ng pag-asang maayos ang sitwasyon ko,” Reolalas said.

(That, I never did because I could work and I didn’t want to send money to my daughter that I didn’t work hard for and came from other people. I thank God for giving me strength and wisdom to survive though I was alone here in the UAE.)

(I also felt blessed for having churchmates who never gave up praying for me whenever I was losing hope.)

Relatives

Reolalas said relatives back in the Philippines knew of her plight.

“Pinapauwi po ako ng mama po, matagal na. Pero sabi ko po sa kanya, 'pag umuwi ako, back to zero po ako. Kawawa po kami ng anak ko dahil wala naman po kaming ibang maaasahan sa Pinas,” she said.

(My mother has long been asking me to go home. But I told her, it’s back to zero for me if I do. My daughter and myself will be miserable because we have no one to turn to.)

Reolalas left her daughter, Ashley Shania, to the care of the little girl’s father’s sister.

“Hindi po ako nakakapagpadala ng consistent monthly sa anak ko since magkano lang ang kinikita ko at saktong pambayad lang ng rent at food at iba pa. Salamat sa Diyos at naiintindihan naman po ng anak ko ‘yun at 'yung nag-aalaga po sa kanya na tita niya, dahil alam naman po nila sitwasyon ko dito sa UAE,” she said.

(I wasn’t able to regularly send money to my daughter because I was not making much. Just enough for food, rent and some other expenses. Thank God, my daughter and her auntie understood. They knew how my situation was.)

Her churchmates would at times help send financial support to her daughter, Reolalas said.

“Minsan po pinapadalhan siya ng mga ka-church ko po kahit magkano para po may pambaon siya at panggastos kahit papaano,” she said.

(Once in a while, my churchmates would send money for her school allowance and other expenses.)

Working underground as house cleaner, nanny and cook at the same time, Reolalas said she made AED10 an hour. She also did committee work at Filipino basketball tourneys where she was paid AED25 to AED30 per game.

‘I leave it to God’

Looking back, Reolalas said she could not anymore remember where in Ajman the building housing the agency was located. It was night time when she was brought there. Phone numbers and contact details, including that of the Filipina agent in Batangas, have also been lost as her phone that had it has long been broken.

“Ang tanda ko po na name niya is Liezel or Lisa po yata,” she said. (I remember her name was either Liezel or Lisa, I think.)

All these make an investigation a challenge.

“That’s ok,” said Reolalas, adding “Si Lord na bahala sa kanila.” (I leave it to God.)

The Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi and Philippine Consulate General in Dubai earlier issued a joint statement urging overstayers to avail of the UAE government’s two-month amnesty program that started on Sept. 1, 2024.

The missions said the program is a fresh start providing all erring expatriates with a chance to rectify their immigration status.

During the first week of the program's implementation, 2,053 Filipinos came forward to avail of the UAE government’s amnesty initiative, the Philippine Embassy and Consulate General said. —KG, GMA Integrated News