Gov’t Repatriates 119 Kenyans From Myanmar Scam Camps
The State Department for Diaspora Affairs stated on Monday that the government had successfully repatriated 119 nationals from unlawful fraud complexes in Myanmar following recent operations by local police and rebel groups.
In a press statement issued on December 22, 2025, the department presented an update on efforts to rescue Kenyans trapped in criminal syndicates operating in remote border regions of Karen State, near the Thailand-Myanmar border.
β119 Kenyans have been successfully repatriated, following recent raids by Myanmar authorities and rebel groups, with efforts continuing for the remaining Kenyans amid complex regional dynamics,β the statement read.
Currently, 198 Kenyans are awaiting repatriation: 66 in Thailand’s Immigration Detention Centre, 129 in Myanmar shelters, and three in a Caritas Catholic safe home in Cambodia.
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— State Department for Diaspora Affairs | Kenya (@Diaspora_KE) December 22, 2025
Some first refused to cooperate, demanding government-funded tickets and spreading falsehoods on social media.
The scam complexes, run by criminal syndicates, were utilized to commit internet fraud while recruiting people with false claims of real employment.
The raids in September 2025 resulted in arrests, seizures, explosions, and demolitions, forcing operators to leave and relocating over 200 Kenyans to military shelters in Myawaddy and Shwe Kokko, with another group escaping into Thailand.
Repatriation Efforts And Logistics
Upon obtaining an initial list of 126 Kenyans, the Kenyan government, through the State Department for Diaspora Affairs and the Kenyan Embassy in Bangkok, implemented a number of procedures.
These included creating WhatsApp groups for next-of-kin updates, negotiating discounted fares with Kenya Airways, issuing Emergency Travel Documents, and coordinating safe passage via the Thai-Myanmar 2nd Friendship Bridge.
The department funded transport from shelters to airports.
Of the initial 126, seven remain pending rebooking after last-minute cancellations. Upon arrival, returnees are interviewed by the Directorate of Criminal Investigationsβ Transnational Organised Crime Unit to aid prosecutions.
The departmentβs counselling unit, in collaboration with stakeholders, provides psychosocial support to returnees and their families.
Gov’t Warning
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The government highlighted patterns among those seeking assistance.
It noted that many entered Thailand on tourist visas despite employment restrictions, bypassed previous evacuations, and knowingly returned to scam operations.
βGovernment-funded rescues for those knowingly engaging in illegal scam activities risk moral hazard, undermining travel advisories, safe migration policies, and deterrence against transnational crime,β the statement warned.
Gov’t Repatriates 119 Kenyans From Myanmar Scam Camps
