Some of the Foreigners Rescued from Myanmar Labour Camps
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Nairobi is actively engaged in negotiations with Thai authorities to reopen the Thai-Myanmar border, seeking to evacuate 64 Kenyan citizens recently rescued from human trafficking networks in Myanmar who remain stranded.
The Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs has confirmed that the Kenyans are part of a larger group of over 7,000 foreigners liberated by armed groups but unable to cross into Thailand since mid-February, when the first group of 260 victims, including 23 Kenyans, were granted entry. Kenya's government is appealing to Thailand on humanitarian grounds to allow the rescued individuals to enter Thai territory for repatriation to Kenya.
The Kenyan Ambassador to Thailand maintains daily contact with the stranded citizens, while officials explore alternative return routes. Conditions are deteriorating in Myanmar's Karen State, where the victims are temporarily sheltered in makeshift military camps. Severe shortages of medical care, clean water, electricity, and sanitation are reported by the Ministry.
A multi-agency team led by the State Department for Diaspora Affairs is prepared to facilitate repatriation upon border access.
The crisis follows a February incident where a suspected Chinese online fraud cartel held approximately 23 Kenyans and 237 other foreigners in a forced labour camp in Myanmar. The Thai army rescued the victims, who were forced to work in online fraud centers under torturous conditions.
They are expected to be repatriated to their home countries once the necessary paperwork is completed. Labour and Social Protection Principal Secretary Joseph Motari has informed lawmakers that budget constraints have left 44 Kenyans stranded in Myanmar and Thailand. He requests additional funding to implement the Kenya Anti Trafficking in Persons Act, emphasizing that the allocated budget falls short of the required Sh80 million. The Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA), an insurgent group, handed over the victims to Thai authorities after raiding fraud centers in Myanmar's Myawaddy District.
The Ethiopian embassy in India reports at least 154 premises across the country where foreigners are being held. Victims include nationals from Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana, the Philippines, Malaysia, Pakistan, China, Indonesia, Nepal, Taiwan, Laos, Brazil, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, and India. Thai authorities report victims endured harsh conditions, forced to meet monthly earnings targets of up to $50,000 under threat of torture, with minimal sleep and continuous abuse.
In a recent escape, some Kenyans crossed into Thailand, with one victim reporting to Thai police that the gang was holding approximately 1,000 people. Amid these ongoing efforts, the Kenyan government is urging citizens seeking overseas employment to verify recruitment agencies with the Ministry of Labour and cross-check job offers with the State Department for Diaspora Affairs, aiming to prevent future trafficking incidents.