Nominated MP Irene MayakaNominated MP Irene Mayaka wants the government to give the timelines for repatriation of Kenyans currently stranded at the Myanmar-Thailand border.
Seeking a statement from the Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations regarding the safety and security of Kenyans stranded in Myanmar, Mayaka further wants the government to state the number of Kenyans affected and the current security situation.
He said the committee should elaborate action being taken by the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs to engage with the government of Thailand in rescuing stranded Kenyans.
Mayaka further wants the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs to explain measures taken to engage with the government of Thailand in addressing the issue of human trafficking.
“Report on the status of investigations by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations into human trafficking networks in Kenya operated by fraudulent employment agencies,” she said.
She also wants the ministry to state steps taken by the government to educate the youth about human trafficking, specifically sensitising them on verifying recruitment agencies before seeking employment abroad.
Mayaka noted that since 2022, hundreds of Kenyans have fallen victim to an elaborate human trafficking syndicate operating under the guise of lucrative job offers in Thailand.
“Many are lured with promises of employment as customer service agents, drivers, waiters, among others. However, upon arrival in Bangkok, Thailand, they are kidnapped and transported to the border town of Mae Sot, from where they are smuggled into Myanmar,” she said.
She added that once in Myanmar, victims are subjected to forced labour, coercion, and criminal activities.
Kenyan ambassador to Thailand, Kiptiness Lindsay Kimwole, has since announced that 129 Kenyans rescued from Myanmar are stuck at the Thailand border.
He said the 129 Kenyans are among foreigners who went to Myanmar over the promise of lucrative jobs, only to find scammers who forced them to commit various online crimes, including scamming, fraud, identity theft, phishing, romance scams, and crypto-currency fraud.
Kimwole explained that the Thailand government gave stringent conditions for foreigners stranded at the border.
