Escaping the Worst: Malar Returns Home to Myanmar

Determined to earn a better income and support her family, Malar* left Myanmar for the Arabian Peninsula, trusting a broker who promised her a housekeeping job. She was assured that English skills were not required and that she would find work easily. 

However, when she arrived, she quickly realized that most employers preferred Arabic-speaking workers. With no job and no way to support herself, she was left vulnerable. 

Desperate, Malar took the only available job she could find, which ended up trapping her in a scam center. Soon after, she and others were forced to relocate to another center in a Middle Eastern country. When she refused, she was threatened with a USD 4,000 debt and told she would be abandoned without documents if she didn’t pay. With food rations cut and general conditions unbearable, she saw no choice but to try to escape. 

Trafficking for forced criminality – where criminal syndicates operate large-scale online scam centres – has emerged as a fast-evolving trend in Southeast Asia and increasingly in other regions. Presumed victims have been trafficked through deceptive online job offers and coerced into carrying out online fraud, romance scams, cryptocurrency investment schemes, and other cybercrimes. Most live in precarious conditions in scamming compounds, with limited access to basic necessities. 

With the help of a contact, Malar reached the police and reported her case. Although her attempt to seek justice failed, cooperation between authorities in two countries allowed her to return safely to Myanmar. 

Back home, Malar was determined to rebuild her life. With support from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and its partners, she enrolled in a pharmacy course, where she became a top student in her class. She now works as a home nurse, assisting people during medical emergencies, and is saving money for her future. 

Looking ahead, she is studying Japanese in the hopes of becoming a caregiver in Japan, allowing her to be financially stable in the near future. 

*Name has been changed to protect identity.  

IOM Myanmar, alongside its partners, is providing immediate support to survivors of human trafficking across the world, helping them rebuild their lives and regain stability. Human trafficking is a heinous crime that continues to shatter lives and dreams. In 2025, over 9,000 presumed survivors of human trafficking for the purpose of forced criminality were rescued from scamming compounds in Myanmar. Thousands more remain in dire need of assistance. IOM seeks to facilitate the safe and dignified return and reintegration of presumed victims, including men and women from more than 40 different countries. 

IOM Myanmar’s support to victims of trafficking has been made possible by the United Kingdom and the US Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. 

This story was written by Nang Seng Noung, IOM Myanmar.