Nearly 200 Kenyans Still Stranded in Myanmar and Southeast Asia After Scam Compound Raids

Nearly 200 Kenyans remain stranded across Myanmar, Thailand, and Cambodia after being trapped inside online scam centres, unable to leave the compounds where they were held, according to government reports from December 2025.

The workers were lured to Southeast Asia with promises of lucrative employment, only to find themselves detained in what sources describe as prison-like facilities. Following raids on scam compounds in September 2025, 119 Kenyans were successfully repatriated in December, but 198 others remain awaiting return—129 in Myanmar shelters, 66 in Thailand's immigration detention centres, and three in a Catholic safe house in Cambodia.

Lured by false promises

The Kenyans were recruited through agents offering high-paying positions in customer service, IT support, and other seemingly legitimate sectors. Upon arrival in Myanmar, however, their passports were confiscated and they were forced to work in online fraud operations — often involving romance scams, cryptocurrency fraud, and fake investment schemes targeting victims worldwide.

The workers report being confined to compounds surrounded by security, with limited contact with the outside world and no freedom of movement. Those who attempt to escape or refuse to participate in the scam operations face threats, physical abuse, and financial penalties.

Regional pattern of exploitation

The plight of the Kenyan workers mirrors a wider trafficking crisis affecting citizens from across Africa and Asia. Over the past two years, thousands of workers from Nigeria, Uganda, Ethiopia, and other countries have been similarly deceived and trapped in scam centres operating in Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos.

Human rights organisations have documented how criminal syndicates, often linked to Chinese organised crime networks, have established industrial-scale fraud operations in the region. The syndicates exploit weak law enforcement and porous borders in Southeast Asia to operate with relative impunity.

Multiple evacuations were conducted between March and November 2025, rescuing hundreds of people. However, authorities report that some individuals have returned to the scam compounds after being rescued, complicating repatriation efforts.

Families demand government action

Relatives of the trapped workers have been pleading with the Kenyan government to escalate diplomatic efforts to secure their release. Many families have lost contact with their loved ones for weeks or months at a time, receiving only sporadic messages describing harsh conditions and threats.

Some families have reported being approached by intermediaries demanding ransom payments — ranging from KSh 200,000 to over KSh 1 million — to facilitate the workers' release. Authorities have warned that paying such ransoms often does not guarantee freedom and may instead fund further criminal activity.

The Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs announced the December 2025 repatriation of 119 nationals but noted that border closures during the festive season have delayed further departures. Kenya does not maintain a resident embassy in Myanmar, complicating consular assistance efforts. Kenyan interests in the country are typically handled through the High Commission in Bangkok, Thailand.

What comes next

Diaspora welfare advocates are calling on the government to work with regional partners — including Thailand, which shares a border with Myanmar and has taken a more active role in repatriation efforts — to coordinate rescue operations.

Several African governments, including Nigeria and Uganda, have successfully negotiated the return of their citizens from similar situations in recent months, often through a combination of diplomatic pressure, law enforcement cooperation, and engagement with international organisations such as the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

For the families waiting in Kenya, each day without news deepens their anxiety. Until a coordinated rescue plan is executed, nearly 200 Kenyans remain stranded thousands of kilometres from home, their futures uncertain.

Reporting drawn from Kenyans.co.ke, The East African - How Myanmar scam compounds trap East Africans, Daily Nation - Job scam crisis: Over 100 Kenyans trapped in Myanmar, 39 jailed, Capital FM - Kenya Repatriates 119 Nationals from Illegal Scam Compounds in Myanmar, Anadolu Agency - Kenya repatriates 119 nationals rescued from Myanmar job scam hubs.