KATHMANDU, Feb 17: A number of Nepali migrant workers are reportedly forced to work as cyber slaves in Laos while the Nepal Police is busy devising plans to bring the Nepali nationals back home without alerting ‘corrupt individuals’ in the Laotian police force.
Spokesperson for the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) Superintendent of Police (SP) Sudhir Raj Shahi informed Republica that the bureau has received phone calls from migrant workers in Laos requesting the police to rescue them from the cyber slavery.
Cyber slavery is a globally emerging trend of organized crime whereby individuals are coerced or manipulated into working under harsh conditions by utilizing digital means. One form of cyber slavery is online human trafficking whereby organized groups use online means to recruit and subsequently traffick individuals for sexual exploitation or labor.
SP Shahi revealed that the Nepali workers are coerced to comply with conditions set by the kingpins of the cyber slavery operation, often facing physical abuse and torture if they do not comply.
Infographics: Countries with most people living in slavery
“Most of these operations lure individuals who are adept at computer skills with promises of high wages. Upon reaching Laos, their passports are seized by the employers,” SP Shahi said, “They are then forced to work at call centers which scam individuals globally.” He added that victims are forced to work under harsh conditions, enduring up to 13-hour workdays, physical torture, and wage theft.
According to SP Shahi, Nepali cyber slaves in Laos have warned the CIB that a communication with the Laotian police officials would derail the efforts to bring the Nepali migrant workers back to Nepal since they have witnessed top Laotian police officials receive bags full of cash from the the ringleaders of the cyber slavery.
“The victims have asked us not to communicate with the Laotian authorities as they claim to have witnessed the authorities’ involvement in the operation of the cyber slavery,” SP Shahi said.
Official data show that while Laos is not a major destination for Nepali migrant workers, it does attract a number of Nepali workers annually. According to the data maintained by the Department of Foreign Employment, 31 Nepali migrant workers ventured to Laos for employment in the Fiscal Year 2022/23. In Fiscal Year 2023/24, a total of 27 Nepali migrant workers reached Laos for employment.
However, the official data does not paint the whole picture of the flow of migrant workers from Nepal to Laos as some Nepali nationals tend to illegally enter Laos as the final destination for employment by initially receiving work permits for Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand. Thailand, in particular, is a prime employment destination for Nepali migrant workers.
On December 24, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) issued a travel advisory for Nepali citizens planning to visit Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos. The ministry urged Nepalis to avoid traveling to these countries on visit visas for foreign employment purposes. The ministry also advised prospective travelers to verify the legitimacy of business firms, companies, and employers through Nepal’s diplomatic missions or by consulting their official websites. The advisory came amid rising cases of Nepali citizens being trafficked to Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar, where they are subjected to illegal work.
Multiple international news media have recently uncovered a vast network of cyber slavery in Myanmar. This week, around 260 migrant workers from over a dozen countries, including Nepal, who fell victim to cyber slavery were deported back to their home countries. Since the incident, the Myanmar government has started a crackdown on cyber slavery operations, with an estimate of 20,000 victims to be deported to Thailand.
