Africa-Press – Rwanda. Rwanda has announced the return of 289 of its citizens after rescuing them from human trafficking and exploitation networks in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Oman, during the period from July 2025 to March 2026.
The Rwandan Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Emmanuel Ugirashebuja, revealed the figures during a briefing before Parliament in Kigali regarding the implementation of international agreements related to preventing human trafficking, prosecuting those involved, and protecting victims.
He explained that authorities repatriated 101 victims from Cambodia, 99 from Oman, 58 from Laos, and 31 from Myanmar, noting that the victims, most of whom are young people, were lured by promises of high-paying jobs, only to find themselves in situations of exploitation and forced labor.
Rwandan authorities have warned about human trafficking networks that rely on fake job advertisements and online recruitment platforms to target young people, the unemployed, and those most vulnerable to exploitation.
Ugirashebuja emphasized that the cross-border nature of these networks complicates investigations, particularly due to the difficulty of gathering evidence from victims and the weak security and judicial cooperation among some countries.
He pointed out that Rwandan authorities have prosecuted 54 individuals suspected of involvement in human trafficking cases over the past three years, noting that 12 individuals were convicted in 2025, compared to 18 convictions in 2024.
The government has confirmed its commitment to continuing awareness campaigns about the dangers of unreliable job offers, alongside strengthening legal frameworks and prosecuting intermediaries and networks that exploit those seeking work abroad.
