64 Kenyans have been rescued from a fraud compound and are now waiting at the Thai-Myanmar border, ready to enter Thailand, according to confirmation from the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs.
The Ministry said in a statement on March 3 that the 64 Kenyans are among the more than 7,000 foreigners who were saved by the Border Guard Force (BGF) and the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA).
In order to help the stranded nationals, the Kenyan government has contacted Thai authorities to reopen the border, the Ministry continued.
During the initial wave of 260 foreigners, which included 23 Kenyans, the border was closed on February 12.
“There is still a severe lack of access to clean water, electricity, medical facilities, and sanitation in the makeshift military camps in Karen State, where the rescued nationals are being held,” the statement says.
According to the Ministry, the government is looking at other ways to get the Kenyans back home.
The statement claims that the State Department for Diaspora Affairs is collaborating with Awareness Against Human Trafficking (HAART) Kenya and the Kenyan Embassy in Bangkok.
The Ministry said, “The logistical arrangements to return Kenyans home to be reunited with their families have been finalized by the State Department for Diaspora Affairs, which is leading a multi-agency team and working with the Kenyan Embassy in Bangkok and HAART Kenya.”
The government would keep working to save its citizens from such circumstances, the Ministry promised.
It disclosed that in order to safeguard the rights and welfare of Kenyans wherever they may be, rescue operations have been conducted in Libya, South Sudan, Lebanon, Myanmar, Israel, and other countries.
The government recommends that people contact the State Department for Diaspora Affairs to confirm the authenticity of internet job postings.
Kenyans are also reminded by the Ministry to use private employment firms that have been authorized and registered by the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection.
