NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenyans who knowingly travel to conflict-prone or high-risk countries could soon receive limited government support in times of distress, after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs signalled a possible policy shift in state-funded rescue operations.
In a press statement issued on Monday, December 22, while updating the public on the ongoing rescue and repatriation of Kenyans stranded in Myanmar’s notorious cyber-fraud compounds, the ministry warned that blanket government assistance was unsustainable.
“Blanket assistance strains resources and erodes accountability,” the ministry said, adding that the approach risks encouraging unsafe migration and unlawful conduct abroad.
The government directed families of Kenyans still awaiting repatriation in foreign countries to independently procure return air tickets, noting that the state would no longer automatically cover travel costs for those who willingly ignored travel advisories.
According to the statement, 86 Kenyans housed in military shelters in Myanmar initially refused to cooperate with authorities, demanding government-funded air tickets and spreading misinformation on social media, before eventually sharing next-of-kin details on December 19, 2025.
The ministry confirmed that 119 Kenyans have already been repatriated from Myanmar following coordinated raids by Myanmar security forces and rebel groups on illegal cyber-fraud compounds.
During the operation, camp operators fled, abandoning hundreds of foreign workers, including more than 200 Kenyans.
Many of the stranded individuals sought refuge in military shelters in Myawaddy and Shwe Kokko, while another group of over 100 crossed into neighbouring Thailand.
As of December 22, the ministry said 198 Kenyans were still awaiting repatriation — 129 in Myanmar military shelters, 66 held at Thailand’s Immigration Detention Centre (IDC), and three sheltered at a Caritas Catholic safe house in Cambodia.
The government disclosed that most of the affected Kenyans entered Thailand on tourist visas between April 2024 and November 2025, despite visas clearly bearing an “employment prohibited” endorsement.
Investigations conducted at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) further revealed that many outbound travellers falsely declared they were travelling for tourism, concealing intentions to take up illegal employment.
The ministry also noted that some Kenyans currently seeking rescue had previously bypassed government-led evacuations, including a major repatriation exercise in March 2025, only to return to fraudulent operations knowingly.
“Government-funded rescues for those knowingly engaging in unlawful swindling activities risk moral hazard, undermining travel advisories, safe migration policies, and deterrence against transnational crime,” the statement warned.
Upon arrival in Kenya, all repatriated individuals are subjected to interviews by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), specifically the Transnational Organised Crime Unit (TOCU), as authorities pursue syndicate leaders and facilitators linked to the international fraud networks.
The latest developments mark a potential turning point in Kenya’s approach to citizen protection abroad, as the government balances humanitarian obligations against rising concerns over accountability, resource strain, and the fight against transnational organised crime.
