Filipino Au Pair Missing in Netherlands, Suspected Runaway to Spain
MISSING AU PAIR – A Filipina was declared missing by her host family in the Netherlands and is believed to have fled to Spain.
In her post, Narmeen Iesa shared a message seeking April Joyce Briones, an au pair they had adopted to help care for their household. An au pair is different from an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) as they are considered ‘equal’ by their host family and receive accommodation and pocket money for performing house chores.
Iesa is searching for her Filipino au pair, April Joyce Briones, who was with her family for two weeks. Briones had two free days and was supposed to return on Sunday. She informed Iesa that she was visiting friends in Amersfoort and Wijchen, and then going to Schiphol to say goodbye to another domestic helper. Briones was expected to be with two girls from an au pair agency in Amsterdam.
Several Filipinos in Amsterdam reported that Briones had left the Netherlands and traveled to Spain. Iesa expressed her confusion and disappointment over Briones’ departure despite their good treatment of her.
Iesa expressed her sadness and disappointment, saying she hadn’t slept properly for almost two days. She treated April Joyce Briones like her own child, providing her with a beautiful room, a zoo card, an OV card, and a Netherlands phone number. Iesa invested a lot of money and effort in bringing Briones to the Netherlands and is disheartened by her sudden departure.
Iesa also posted a photo as evidence that Briones was already in Spain with her acquaintances. In a later update, Iesa mentioned that Briones had sent her a message to apologize. The Filipina was reportedly planning to work in Spain. As of press time, Iesa has yet to post any updates about Briones.