South Africa repatriated 23 citizens from Myanmar on Thursday after they were rescued from notorious online scam centres.
These operations, which have thrived in Myanmar’s lawless border regions, exploit foreign workers through deceptive job offers.
The workers were initially lured to Thailand by a fraudulent employment agency, promising well-paid jobs through social media advertisements.
Once there, they were transported to Myanmar, held captive for over four months, and forced to participate in illicit online scams.
The Department of International Relations confirmed the repatriation, noting that the 23 South Africans were among thousands freed in recent Myanmar crackdowns.
The rescue operation is part of a larger global effort to dismantle these exploitative networks.
Myanmar’s militia forces have also been cracking down on these operations.
Last month, a militia announced plans to deport 10,000 people associated with the scams to Thailand.
This initiative aims to combat the growing number of forced laborers working in the region’s illicit cybercrime industry.
Countries like China and Indonesia have already repatriated hundreds of their nationals from similar centres.
However, many victims remain stranded in grim holding camps along Myanmar’s border with Thailand.
The United Nations estimates that as many as 120,000 people, primarily Chinese men, are trapped in these scam centres, working under duress and subject to abuse.
The ongoing international efforts to rescue and repatriate these individuals continue to shed light on the scale of this global human trafficking crisis.
