In May 2025, Sunstar reported that the Philippines’ Department of Migrant Workers has closed the language centre, The Aseanway Learning and Development Center, and its sister company, IWA Language Learning Center, for “engaging in illegal recruitment” without the required license.

The companies were allegedly referring students to job agencies offering roles in Japan in factories, on farms, in construction and in hotels, under the Technical Intern Training Programme. Applicants were charged recruitment fees by the companies. The scheme was allegedly being promoted on Facebook (part of Meta).

In July, the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited Meta to respond to the reporting and to outline how it monitors and removes content on Facebook facilitating the illegal recruitment and recruitment fee charging of Filipino workers seeking work in Japan. Meta’s response can be read in full below.