Across Europe, North America, and Asia, Filipino migrant workers are facing escalating attacks ranging from labor exploitation and medical neglect in detention to aggressive deportation campaigns, sparking growing outrage among migrant rights groups.

In the Netherlands last October 27, the controversy over the 11 Filipino cleaners recruited by luxury gym chain Saints & Stars continues to deepen after the Openbaar Ministerie (OM) or the Dutch Prosecutor’s Offie decided not to pursue criminal labor-exploitation charges against the employer. The workers were lured from the Philippines and other parts of Europe with promises of decent jobs, only to face 17-hour workdays, passport confiscation, overcrowded housing, and physical abuse.

Migrante Netherlands in a protest action last November 14, slammed the OM decision as a dangerous precedent: “this tells employers they can exploit migrants with impunity.” The Philippine government has responded with a “no comment” to the OM decision, which caught the ire of many for its systematic neglect of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) facing distress.

Meanwhile, in the United States, two Filipino detainees, known publicly as Kuya G and Tita Rebecca, have become emblematic of deepening humanitarian concerns in immigration detention facilities.

At the Northwest Detention Center (NWDC) in Tacoma, Washington, Kuya G was forced to return to ICE custody right after being discharged from St. Joseph’s Medical Center, where he was recovering from a toe amputation and other ongoing health issues. Migrante USA say the forced return to detention jeopardizes his life. Migrante USA also criticized the Philippine Consulate for its false promises and inaction on Kuya G’s case.

In Georgia’s Stewart Detention Center, 71-year-old green card holder “Tita Rebecca” continues to suffer gross medical neglect, including worsening kidney disease and repeated denial of essential medications.

Last November 5, more than 25 Filipino seafarers waged a protest action in front of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) demanding justice after they were forcibly deported from the US without due process. According to Migrante International, “their visas were unjustly revoked and now they have lost their livelihood and jobs. The Philippine government did not defend the, did not provide legal assistance or support.”

In Japan, the government’s controversial Zero Illegal Foreign Residents Plan is accelerating deportations at unprecedented rates. Deportations more than doubled in the first quarter of implementation, including at least 14 Filipinos, raising alarms that migrants, asylum seekers, and overstayers are being targeted in an increasingly xenophobic climate. Migrante Japan in a public demonstration against the said plan last November 16 said that the Zero Plan is “based on the assumption that undocumented migrants and refugees are considered undesirables and causes fear among the people. Worse, migrants are falsely accused as being the reason for the rise in criminality.”