Manila, March 20 -- Twenty-six Filipinos rescued from labor trafficking in Malaysia arrived in the country this week, the Bureau of Immigration said Friday.

The batch of repatriates, consisting of nine females and 17 males, arrived on March 16 via an AirAsia flight.

The BI, in a news release, said majority of the repatriates disclosed that they departed the country through illegal "backdoor" routes, particularly via southern borders, where they were clandestinely transported by boat to Malaysia.

BI Commissioner Joel Viado said records show that the victims' departures spanned nearly two decades, from as early as 2006 up to 2025. He said the BI continues to observe a pattern of trafficking syndicates exploiting illegal migration corrido...