Dubai Visa Promises Turn Into Debt Trap For Nearly 400 OFWs
Photo caption: Filipinos affected by the visa scam were advised to file complaints with UAE authorities and preserve contracts, receipts, payment records and communications. Snapshots show OFWs waiting availing consular service. Photo by: Agaton
DUBAI — Nearly 400 Filipino workers are believed to have been affected by an alleged visa scheme that left some without promised residency documents and facing mounting overstay fines, as Philippine officials assist complainants and families prepare to seek help from both UAE and Manila authorities.
The case could lead to a request for Interpol assistance.
A lawyer assisting complainants was compiling evidence and considering seeking Interpol’s help after the alleged operators, also believed to be Filipinos, reportedly left the UAE.
It is not immediately clear if an Interpol request has been filed or that an international notice has been issued.
Latest: Families turn to Philippine police
In an update published Wednesday, Oct. 21, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Administrator (OWWA) Patricia Yvonne Caunan said victims’ relatives planned to bring their complaints to the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) cybercrime unit.
OWWA supports the move, she told the local Abante Radyo’s “OFW Konek” program. Caunan estimated the number affected at nearly 400. She said victims paid as much as ₱100,000 each.
She linked the planned cybercrime complaints to applications or recruitment conducted through social media. The Migrant Workers Office (MOW) in Dubai has already held several legal consultation sessions with complainants.
The MWO office had received at least 20 requests for assistance from clients since mid-September, along with several requests from former employees. In interviews published Oct. 6, Gulf News identified the business at the center of complaints as Trip Expert Business and Marketing Solutions.
Applicants said they paid thousands of dirhams for self-sponsored visas and related services after encountering advertisements, influencer endorsements or referrals from friends. gulfnewsSeveral complainants said receipts, contracts and an operating office convinced them the company was legitimate.
They later struggled to obtain documents, contact company representatives or secure refunds. gulfnewsOne applicant said she paid 8,100 dirhams (1 dirham: ~₱17.13) for a two-year vis. Another said her visa remained unissued while overstay fines approached 10,600 dirhams.
Loss estimates remain provisional
Rappler reported estimated losses of 3.6 million dirhams involving about 400 overseas Filipino workers.
There’s no final police or court accounting at the moment.Separately, one complainant’s list documented 91 people who said they paid a combined 740,815 dirhams, with most individual payments ranging from 6,000 to 9,500 dirhams.
The figures were self-reported and had not been independently verified.
What happens next
The immediate priorities are documenting complaints and addressing workers’ immigration problems. The Philippine Consulate General in Dubai has advised affected Filipinos to file complaints with UAE authorities and preserve contracts, receipts, payment records and communications.
The Migrant Workers Office (MWO) said it could assist those facing overstay fines, expired residency documents or absconding reports, including helping with repatriation for workers who choose to return home.
Free legal consultations are available on Wednesdays, according to the office’s statement.
UAE government guidance also urges applicants to verify visa and employment offers through official channels.
It warns that a tourist or visit visa does not authorize employment and advises checking Dubai-issued entry permits through the relevant immigration authority.
