Faith organizations fight back as traffickers disguise themselves as missionaries

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

Human traffickers are using religious disguise to avoid being detected, the Pontifical agency Fides has reported, noting that faith-based organizations are relentlessly working to combat this new and disturbing phenomenon.

After an investigation, Fides revealed this tactic is being used primarily by traffickers across Southeast Asia.

Disguising identities

It often involves, the agency noted, traffickers disguising victims as Christian "pilgrims" or "missionaries" to bypass airport checks and immigration controls.

Several such cases, Fides revealed, were uncovered by Filipino and Thai authorities. One case involved three women falsely claiming to be Catholic missionaries en route to Thailand.

Luring and deception

One of those women, investigations revealed, was part of a trafficking ring, luring others with fake job offers and exploiting them.

According to the Philippine Bureau of Immigration, in 2024, there were nearly 1,000 trafficking victims, often tricked by traffickers through schemes like fake pilgrimages, arranged marriages, and job scams.

Reportedly, this plotting often was done to produce forced labor in regions of Thailand, Cambodia, and Myanmar.

Faith-based organizations combatting phenomenon

Regardless, faith-based organizations continue to be at the forefront of combating these crimes and the Catholic Church in the region continues to reaffirm its commitment to eradicating trafficking.

The Philippines-based People's Recovery, Empowerment, and Development Assistance Catholic Foundation (PREDA), committed to protecting and empowering vulnerable children and trafficking survivors through advocacy and rescue, has highlighted abuses faced by Filipino women trafficked to Myanmar.

Meanwhile, groups such as the Philippine Interfaith Movement Against Human Trafficking and Talitha Kum Thailand are actively working to raise awareness, support survivors, and push for systemic change, including educational initiatives and interreligious collaboration.