Nearly 200 Kenyans Remain in Myanmar and Thailand After Repatriation Efforts

Kenya has repatriated 119 citizens from scam compounds in Myanmar, with nearly 200 more awaiting evacuation as authorities intensify efforts to dismantle the networks responsible.

Kenya’s State Department for Diaspora Affairs (SDDA) said the latest operation is part of a sustained campaign to rescue nationals trapped in criminal syndicates across Southeast Asia. The compounds are located mainly in Myanmar’s Karen State near the Thai border and are linked to large-scale online fraud operations run by transnational groups.

According to the SDDA, many Kenyans were recruited under false promises of legitimate employment. On arrival, they were coerced into cybercrime activities. Recent raids by Myanmar authorities, combined with clashes involving rebel groups, left hundreds stranded in military-controlled shelters and in neighbouring Thailand, prompting urgent diplomatic intervention.

The government said the repatriation effort involved Kenya’s embassy in Bangkok, regional authorities and Kenya Airways. Emergency travel documents were issued to facilitate returns, while psychosocial support is being provided to those arriving home. All returnees are interviewed by the Transnational Organised Crime Unit to support investigations into the criminal networks involved.

Officials, however, expressed concern that many of those rescued had ignored repeated government advisories. Several entered Thailand using tourist visas despite warnings, often after being told the visas would later be converted into work permits. The SDDA said such arrangements should be treated as a clear warning sign.

Despite multiple evacuation exercises between March and November 2025, authorities say some Kenyans have returned to the scam compounds after being rescued. At present, 198 nationals remain in the region: 66 are being held in Thailand’s immigration detention centres, 129 are in shelters in Myanmar, and three are receiving assistance at a Catholic safe house in Cambodia.

Repatriation flights have been temporarily suspended due to holiday border closures but are expected to resume early in the new year. The SDDA noted recurring travel patterns among those seeking help. Many had left Kenya between April 2024 and November 2025, declaring tourism as their purpose at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, before later becoming involved in scam operations. 

Officials said awareness campaigns had been conducted through media briefings, public forums and travel advisories, yet some individuals knowingly accepted fraudulent offers. Authorities also believe that some recruiters are former victims who returned to the compounds after earlier rescues and began working as intermediaries for the syndicates.

The issue has reached senior levels of government. Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi warned that not all returnees are victims, noting that some have resumed criminal activity after deportation. He cited the case of Maxwell Mutiso, who was deported from Myanmar but later re-entered the region illegally through Malaysia and Thailand.

Mutiso was arrested in Mae Sot for using forged documents and is facing charges related to illegal entry and document fraud.