Thousands Await Repatriation After Crackdown on Myanmar Scam Centers

A multinational effort has freed over 7,000 workers from forced labor in scam hubs, but logistical delays and squalid conditions leave many in limbo at the Thai-Myanmar border.

• Thailand, Myanmar, and China are coordinating the repatriation of over 7,000 workers freed from scam centers in Myanmar, with most detainees held in overcrowded camps in Myawaddy.
• The scam centers, run by criminal syndicates, lured workers with false job promises and forced them into online fraud under abusive conditions, including beatings and torture.
• The United Nations estimates up to 120,000 people may be trapped in similar operations, with many trafficked from countries like China, Indonesia, and Ethiopia.
• Repatriation efforts face delays due to strained resources, identity verification challenges, and the involvement of multiple foreign embassies, raising concerns of a humanitarian crisis.
• Thailand has cut off utilities to scam hubs and is holding talks with Myanmar and China to streamline repatriations, while critics call for stronger action against the criminal networks and complicit officials.

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