Ten Rwandans seduced by Southeast Asia were seduced for their work, only to find themselves in miserable circumstances. The government intervened after Rwandans were trapped in Myanmar and Laos warned top influencers.
Rwandan authorities intervened after several citizens stranded in Southeast Asia reached out to one of the country’s social media influencers for support. The Rwandan said he was trapped in Myanmar and Laos after traveling for work.
Influencer Richard Choezer tagged the government on his platform. Ten Rwandans were subsequently deported.
“Dozens of Rwandans who have been trafficked to Southeast Asian countries, particularly Myanmar and Laos, are appealing to the Rwandan government to encourage their return,” Kweiser told DW.
They were victims of work fraud, he said.
Employment fraudster targets
In Rwanda, scammers who offer jobs and other opportunities abroad and seek money from unsuspecting people are becoming more and more active. Promises scholarships in some Europe, the US, Canada, or Australia. Some people have left their offices in Kigali, or run from what is called a “briefcase office.”
Young people in East African countries travelling to the Middle East to travel to Asia and the Middle East are often forced into commercial sex work and other dangerous occupations.
The Rwandan government has not provided a total number of repatriation schemes, but it has expressed concern over its claims to be illegal recruitment and human trafficking.
In X, government spokesman Yolande Makoro responded to Kwizera on May 3, saying, “We have worked with the IOM (International Organization for Migration) to deport 10 casualties of human trafficking from Myanmar over the past week.”
“We still know the five people there and we work to bring them home,” she added.
Incommunicado trapped in Asia
According to Kwizera, some Rwandans are trapped in Southeast Asia without the means to communicate with the outside world.
“There are still people in these countries, but once they arrive at the airports of these countries, their phones and passports were confiscated, putting their lives at risk,” he told DW.
The DW was unable to reach any of the deported Rwandans. The nature of the work they were recruited is unknown, but it is widely believed that they were exploited by the Rwandans and the people of Myanmar and Laos.
The Rwandan Federation of Workers and Trade Unions (Sestra) told DW it was unaware of the situation in Southeast Asia and could not support it. It says it focuses on defending workers’ rights within Rwanda.
“This issue certainly has never brought our attention. Then I need to search for more information and understand their situation before saying anything about it,” said Afrakain, Executive Director General Sesstrer, Vilabony.
A survey by the National Institute of Statistics (NSIR) in Rwanda showed that the unemployment rate was 14.9% in 2024. This is a 2.3% decrease from the previous year.
Over the past five years, reports of human trafficking and forced labour have been involved in Rwanda, with Rwandans involved in other parts of the world.
It is difficult to identify forced labor
According to human rights groups, men, women and children are being trafficked for forced domestic and sex work, in the agriculture, mining, industry and services sectors.
Child labour is most common in agriculture, illegal mining and construction. Rwandan traffickers are known to use fraudulent marriage contracts to involve young adults in sex work in hotels, bars or restaurants.
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In 2018, Rwanda enacted laws to prevent exploitation and human trafficking and to prevent puns. The country has made great efforts to address this issue, but the 2024 US State Department’s Trafficking Report shows that there is still a shortage of minimum standards for criminal elimination.
The IOM trains national law enforcement officials and is regularly convened by the National Reaction Committee. However, experts say the country still meets only the standards of imitation for the elimination of crime.
Cultural norms and workers’ rights are minimized, making it difficult to identify forced labour and human trafficking. According to Sesstrer, a Rwanda-based NGO and Trade Union Federation.
Editor: Benita Van Eyessen
