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More Kenyans trapped in Myanmar have been rescued by the government after they fell prey to an unscrupulous ‘job’ cartel with links to Nairobi.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affair, seven Kenyans were rescued from Myanmar over the weekend and taken to Thailand ahead of their repatriation home, while four others were still held under at the Chinese factories where they had been smuggled upon arrival in Thailand.
According to the information from the victims, the work Kenyans are subjected to in the Southeast Asian country’s factories is equivalent to slavery.
“They locked us up in a room for seven hours without communication and food after which they asked us if we wanted to die or continue with work and we of course chose to live,” Rose Mwikali who was repatriated back to Kenya last week told Nation.
She said those Kenyans who could not work in the Cyber Caffe were subjected to Prostitution as they were rendered useless.
A week ago, the government said it rescued citizens stuck in Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, after receiving the distress call.
Kenyans were warned to stop applying for jobs in Asian countries unless they can confirm their authenticity before leaving.
The government said it is “overwhelmed” by distress calls of Kenyans duped into non-existent jobs in the South East Asian region in what it suspected was a human trafficking syndicate.
1/4 EMBASSY WARNS KENYANS AGAINST APPLYING FOR FAKE JOBS IN THAILAND.
The Embassy of the Republic of Kenya to Thailand is warning Kenyans against applying for fake sales and teaching jobs in Thailand, Laos, Viet Nam and Cambodia— Embassy of the Republic of Kenya in Thailand _@KEB (@embassy_kenya) August 21, 2022
“1/4 EMBASSY WARNS KENYANS AGAINST APPLYING FOR FAKE JOBS IN THAILAND. The Embassy of the Republic of Kenya to Thailand is warning Kenyans against applying for fake sales and teaching jobs in Thailand, Laos, Viet Nam and Cambodia”
According to Kenyan Embassy in Thailand, majority of those tricked are Kenyans from low-income families who had had sell their little resources, including land to cater for the travel costs.
The victims are duped with fake promises of teaching, sales and customer care jobs, only to be sold into slavery in Myanmar and the neighbouring Laos to work in ‘factories‘ that indulge in cybercrimes, brothels and drug trafficking activities.
