German held before he could exit PH with 4 Pinays

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has arrested a German national who tried to take four Filipino women out of the country with him, allegedly so they could work as caregivers in Germany even without permits.

Herbert Joseph Vogt, 72, was arrested on Monday at Clark International Airport as he and the women were about to board a Qatar Airways flight bound for Doha en route to their final destination.

Vogt was turned over to the National Bureau of Investigation to face charges of illegal recruitment and human trafficking. The women were referred to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking for assistance and further investigation.

BI Deputy Commissioner Marc Red Mariñas said the women aroused suspicion when they initially claimed before the immigration officer that they did not know each other. They later admitted during questioning that they were hired to work as caregivers at a nursing home in Germany and that they were made to lie about the circumstances of their travel, Mariñas said.

He added that they studied German at a university in Manila and that Vogt, their language teacher, helped them process their job applications.

“We have been receiving reports from the (Philippine Overseas Employment Administration) that many caregivers were recruited for deployment to Germany without securing the proper work permits, disguised as trainees,” BI chief Jaime Morente said. —Tina G. Santos