FOREIGN nationals who had illegally entered Myanmar through border routes after transiting through neighbouring countries, including Thailand, and who had committed illegal online gambling, online fraud, and other criminal activities in the Myawady–Shwe Kokko area of Kayin State were deported yesterday.
A total of 73 foreign nationals, comprising 55 Vietnamese, five Kenyans, four Sierra Leoneans, three Nepalese, two Rwandans, two Burundians, one Congolese, and one Liberian, were deported and handed over to the relevant authorities of their respective countries via the Myanmar–Thailand Friendship Bridge No 2 in accordance with legal procedures, with due regard to humanitarian considerations and friendly relations between nations. In addition, eight more foreign nationals were newly identified and detained for verification in preparation for deportation.
To ensure that the deportation and handover procedures were conducted systematically and smoothly, Chairman of the Myawady District Management and Administration Committee, District Administrator U Kaung San Lin, together with responsible officials, met with departmental personnel. They inspected records and data to ensure their accuracy and completeness and coordinated necessary arrangements.
During the deportation and handover process, officials, including Deputy Director U Kyaw Kyaw Than, Head of District Immigration and Population Department, and relevant staff, attended. Also present were First Secretary Mr Le Trung Kien and officials from the Embassy of Vietnam in Thailand, embassy representatives, including Ms Amy Kristen Miller and officials representing the embassies of Kenya, Sierra Leone, Nepal, Rwanda, Burundi, the Congo, and Liberia, and officials from the Immigration Office of Tak Province, Thailand. Myanmar officials systematically handed over the relevant documentation related to the deportation and repatriation process to the authorities of the respective countries.
Furthermore, eight foreign nationals: two Pakistanis, two Rwandans, two Kenyans, one Nepalese, and one Burundian, who had entered sites around Myawady Township in Kayin State through illegal routes, were identified and detained for verification before deportation.
From 30 January 2025 to 10 March 2026, a total of 14,393 foreign nationals who had illegally entered Myawady Township were detained. All of them have been verified, and 13,335 have already been systematically deported to their respective countries via Thailand in accordance with legal procedures. The remaining 1,058 foreign nationals are ready to be transferred to the relevant countries and are being properly accommodated and cared for.
Among the remaining 1,058 foreign nationals awaiting transfer, 25 Chinese nationals are being detained at the Myoma Police Station. As they violated entry visa regulations, arrangements are being made to prosecute them on 7 March 2026 in accordance with legal procedures under Section 3 (1)/13 (1) of the 1947 Myanmar Immigration (Emergency Provisions) Act.
The State is actively cooperating with neighbouring and regional countries as well as international organizations to identify, arrest, and take effective and strict legal action against individuals involved in online scam centres and the foreign nationals who mastermind such operations. At the same time, effective coordination is being undertaken to ensure the swift repatriation of foreign nationals who are in distress for various reasons, including victims of human trafficking, to their respective countries. — MNA/KNN
