The returnees had been held at an immigration detention centre after Cambodian authorities detained them while they were trying to leave the country in September.
Cambodia’s immigration detention center. Photo: Courtesy
“>
Cambodia’s immigration detention center. Photo: Courtesy
Thirty Bangladeshis who escaped alleged scam centres in Cambodia returned home today (20 October) after being released from an immigration detention centre.
They arrived in Dhaka at 12:10pm on a Thai Airways flight, TG-321, reports Prothom Alo.
The returnees were among 32 Bangladeshis detained by Cambodian immigration police at Phnom Penh airport on 3 September as they attempted to return home. Two were subsequently released, while the remaining 30 were held at an immigration detention centre.
The Wage Earners’ Welfare Board, under the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, had written to the first secretary of the labour wing at the Bangladesh Embassy in Bangkok, seeking necessary steps to secure their release and facilitate their repatriation.
The letter, signed by the board’s Deputy Director (IRP) Mohammad Zakir Hossain, followed an application from Anirban Survivor Voice Foundation.
The Bangladeshis had allegedly been taken to Cambodia by brokers with promises of lucrative salaries. After arriving, many were reportedly forced to work at scam centres, engaging in cyber scams and other forms of online fraud. Those who tried to escape also allegedly faced abuse.
After escaping the centres, the group went to Phnom Penh airport on 3 September to return to Bangladesh through the procedures prescribed by Cambodian authorities.
However, they were detained during immigration checks over alleged illegal stays and other immigration-related complications.
About The Author
