Dozens of Ugandans still stuck in Myanmar’s human trafficking rings - govt

Dozens of Ugandans remain trapped in Myanmar after being lured with false job offers and forced into cyber fraud operations run by criminal syndicates, officials have warned.

Ambassador Betty Bigombe, Uganda’s High Commissioner to Malaysia, said diplomatic negotiations are ongoing to secure the release of Ugandans trafficked into the Southeast Asian nation.

"We call upon the government to increase efforts in combating human trafficking in Uganda," Bigombe added on Saturday.

"Many Ugandans are lured to work in Myanmar online scam centres, where they end up suffering. Many agents are operating in Uganda, and almost every day, Ugandans fall victim," she revealed, following a meeting with Ambassador Abbey Walusimbi, Senior Presidential Advisor on Diaspora Affairs.

Ugandan victims, mostly young IT graduates, are deceived with promises of well-paying jobs in Thailand, Cambodia, and China, according to Ugandan authorities.

Upon arrival, they are trafficked into Myanmar’s rebel-held areas, where they are stripped of their passports and phones, crammed into overcrowded dormitories, and forced to work in exploitative conditions.

Contrary to claims of Ugandans engaging in rebel activities, Bigombe clarified that the victims are subjected to modern slavery.

"When they get there, they are huddled into these camps, their phones taken away, passports removed, and told to work for 20 hours a day," she explained.

She added: "In the first week, they are trained to scam people and tasked to mobilise $10,000 per head daily."

Ambassador Walusimbi emphasized that traffickers recruit Ugandans through fake websites advertising jobs in Thailand and Malaysia.

"This is coordinated and organized criminality," Walusimbi said.

"Upon arrival at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, victims are told to exit through a specific gate, put in a van, and driven 12 hours to the Thailand-Myanmar border, before being transported by boat to rebel-controlled territories," he elaborated.

Government efforts

The Ugandan government is intensifying efforts to repatriate victims through Thailand, which has agreed to screen 300 people per day out of the estimated 100,000 trafficked individuals from various countries. However, the process largely favors Asians.

"Majority of the victims are Ethiopians, Eritreans, Kenyans, and Ugandans. Kenya has tackled the problem by imprisoning local traffickers," Walusimbi noted.

So far in 2025, about 24 Ugandans have been repatriated from Myanmar, with over 40 still stranded, per government data.

Officials are calling for stronger cooperation between Uganda, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar and China, as well as international agencies, to combat human trafficking.

"There are deep concerns about Thailand issuing visas to traffickers. Our target should be to stop local agents," Walusimbi urged.

Meanwhile, rehabilitation programs are being planned to support returnees in reintegrating into society after their ordeal.