Thailand to Repatriate Thousands of Myanmar Scam Centre Workers

Report by Ishrat Yasmeen

Thailand has announced plans to repatriate thousands of alleged scam centre workers from Myanmar’s border regions as part of an ongoing crackdown on transnational crime.

According to Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Nikorndej Balankura, approximately 5,000 Chinese nationals will be returned to China at a rate of 1,000 per week, starting next week. The agreement was reached following a high-level meeting in Bangkok between officials from Thailand, Myanmar, and China.

Crackdown on Cyber scam Operations

For years, cyber scam operations have flourished in Myanmar’s unregulated border areas, luring foreign workers with false job offers before forcing them into online fraud. Under pressure from China, Myanmar has taken action against these operations, freeing around 7,000 victims from more than two dozen countries.

Repatriation and Legal Action

Last week, 600 Chinese nationals were returned via Thailand, escorted in handcuffs by law enforcement upon arrival. Many claim to have been trafficked, deceived, and subjected to abuse, yet China continues to treat them as criminal suspects.

Meanwhile, 2,000 more foreign nationals, including Africans, will undergo Thai immigration screening before being referred to their respective embassies for possible repatriation.

Widespread Human Exploitation

The United Nations estimates that up to 120,000 people, predominantly Chinese men, may still be trapped in Myanmar’s scam centers, highlighting the vast scale of forced labor and human trafficking in the region.