KIGALI –Rwanda has repatriated 289 citizens rescued from human trafficking networks operating in Cambodia, Oman, Laos and Myanmar, as authorities intensify efforts to combat cross-border trafficking and protect vulnerable citizens from fraudulent overseas recruitment.
Justice Minister and Attorney General Emmanuel Ugirashebuja told Parliament that the victims were rescued between 2025 and March 2026 through coordinated efforts involving Rwandan authorities and international partners.
According to figures presented before lawmakers, Cambodia accounted for the highest number of rescued Rwandans with 101 victims, followed by Oman (99), Laos (58) and Myanmar (31).
Many of those rescued were young people who had accepted promises of well-paying jobs abroad, only to find themselves trapped in forced labour and other exploitative conditions.
According to KT Press, Ugirashebuja said investigations remain challenging because trafficking syndicates operate across multiple countries.
“Combating trafficking remains difficult because criminal networks operate across borders, making investigations and evidence gathering from victims more challenging,” he told Parliament.
The minister also cited Interpol data showing that cooperation among African countries in tackling human trafficking remains low at about 5 per cent, compared to 98 per cent in Europe.
The latest repatriations come amid growing international concern over human trafficking networks targeting African job seekers.
The US State Department’s 2025 Trafficking in Persons Report placed Rwanda on its Tier 2 Watch List, acknowledging improvements in investigations and prosecutions while noting continued gaps in victim identification, referral systems and law enforcement capacity.
The report also warned that traffickers increasingly rely on fake online job advertisements and social media platforms to lure victims.
“Traffickers target vulnerable populations such as youth, including those who are homeless, orphaned children, children with disabilities, women and girls, unemployed adults, undocumented migrants, asylum seekers, and internally displaced persons,” the report states.
Authorities have urged Rwandans seeking employment abroad to verify recruitment agencies and job offers before travelling.
