Thai Government Agrees to Repatriate Scam Centre Workers
Thousands of Alleged Scam Centre Workers to be Repatriated
The Thai government has announced that it has reached an agreement with Myanmar and China to repatriate thousands of alleged scam centre workers stranded in camps at the Thai-Myanmar border. This move is part of a crackdown on transnational crime.
5,000 Chinese Nationals to be Repatriated
According to Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Nikorndej Balankura, some 5,000 Chinese nationals will be sent home at a rate of 1,000 a week, starting next week. This decision was made after a meeting between Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa, Chinese Assistant Minister for Public Security Liu Zhongyi, and Myanmar’s deputy home affairs minister Aung Kyaw Kyaw.
Cyberscam Operations
Cyberscam operations have been thriving in Myanmar’s lawless border areas for several years. These operations lure foreign workers with promises of high-paying jobs but hold them hostage and force them into committing online fraud. Under pressure from key ally Beijing, Myanmar has cracked down on some of these compounds, freeing around 7,000 workers from more than two dozen countries.
Freed Workers in Holding Camps
The freed workers are now languishing in sometimes squalid conditions in holding camps near the Thai border while officials organize their repatriation. Last week, some 600 Chinese nationals were returned from Myanmar through Thailand, and escorted off the plane in handcuffs by police on landing.
Treatment of Workers
Many workers say they were trafficked or tricked into taking the work and suffer beatings and abuse. However, the government in China has so far treated them as criminal suspects.
Screening Process
The remaining 2,000 foreign nationals, including Africans, will go through the usual Thai screening processes before being handed to their respective embassies for possible repatriation.
UN Estimates
The United Nations estimates that as many as 120,000 people – many of them Chinese men – may be working in Myanmar scam centres against their will.
FAQs
- How many Chinese nationals will be repatriated?
5,000 Chinese nationals will be sent home at a rate of 1,000 a week, starting next week. - How many workers have been freed from the compounds?
Around 7,000 workers from more than two dozen countries have been freed. - How many foreign nationals will go through the Thai screening process?
2,000 foreign nationals, including Africans, will go through the usual Thai screening processes before being handed to their respective embassies for possible repatriation. - What is the estimated number of people working in Myanmar scam centres against their will?
The United Nations estimates that as many as 120,000 people – many of them Chinese men – may be working in Myanmar scam centres against their will.