Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry has repatriated about 60 citizens from Southeast Asia over five years who fell victim to labor trafficking, according to a ministry response to a request from the publication Kursiv, as reported by infohub.kz.
The document notes that Kazakh citizens are most frequently lured into labor slavery organized by criminal groups in Southeast Asia, with hotspots in certain areas of Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia. Thailand and Vietnam are used as transit countries.
"In this context, the ministry recommends that citizens carefully vet job offers abroad, not hand over documents to third parties, and take precautions when traveling overseas," the MFA said.
The ministry does not maintain a blacklist of foreign countries particularly dangerous for Kazakhs. Instead, the MFA advises citizens to familiarize themselves with current information about their destination, comply with local laws, and immediately contact the nearest Kazakh consulate in case of an emergency.
Previously, Kursiv reported on who most often falls into slavery in Kazakhstan and for what reasons.