Rwanda repatriates 10 citizens trafficked to Myanmar

By The Inspirer.

The Government of Rwanda has announced the repatriation of 10 Rwandans who were deceived into believing they were being offered good jobs, only to end up in Myanmar where they were subjected to forced labor, cyber fraud, and other abuses. Five more Rwandans are still in Myanmar, but efforts are underway to bring them home as well.

Many of those trafficked to Myanmar come from across the African continent. They are often routed through Thailand and promised high-paying jobs. Victims are lured with promises of a \$2,500 monthly salary, making them believe their lives and those of their families would greatly improve. The journey typically ends in Thailand before they are taken to Myanmar, where they are forced to sign contracts written in Chinese, binding them to a monthly salary of \$400 — most of which they never receive.

Once in Myanmar, they are coerced into cybercrime schemes, including cryptocurrency scams, working up to 17 hours a day. Anyone caught sleeping or underperforming faces salary deductions, beatings, electric shocks, and other abuses.

While this ordeal has affected many foreigners, a significant number of Rwandans have also fallen into the trap. Fortunately, some have managed to escape.

Government spokesperson Yolande Makolo, through a post on X, stated that Rwanda, in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), had successfully repatriated 10 victims last week and continues efforts to rescue five others.

“The Government of Rwanda, in partnership with IOM, last week repatriated 10 people who had been trafficked to Myanmar. We have information on five more still there, and we are doing everything possible to bring them back home,” Makolo posted.

Her statement was in response to journalist Richard Kwizera, who had recently published information about Rwandans in Myanmar and Laos pleading with their government for rescue after being trafficked under the guise of employment.

A Ugandan victim, Jalil Muyeke, who was trafficked in 2023 and escaped in 2024, told the BBC that the seven months he spent in Myanmar were the worst of his life.

“I was beaten, humiliated, and electrocuted. If they found you sleeping or making a mistake, they’d electrocute you. Those were the darkest months of my life,” he said.

Victims are given phones and forced to find contacts on dating platforms, which they pass on to scammers working nearby. These fraudsters then trick the victims into investing in fake cryptocurrency ventures.

Currently, Myanmar hosts numerous centers where thousands of people are held against their will and used to commit online fraud.

As of March 2025, over 7,000 people from various countries were rescued from such cybercrime centers at the Myanmar-Thailand border.