Hyderabad: Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) has decided to write to the Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) requesting inclusion of Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia in the emigration check required (ECR) category. These nations, which have become hotspots for cyber slavery and human trafficking, currently fall under the emigration check not required (ENR) category, allowing unrestricted travel. Unlike the Gulf countries such as the UAE, which require emigration checks for passport holders with qualifications below matriculation (SSC), South East Asian nations such as Thailand remain outside the regulatory framework, making job seekers vulnerable to exploitation.
Investigations reveal that job seekers from Telangana and other states were using airports in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Delhi, Kolkata and Bhubaneswar to reach destinations like Thailand, from where agents facilitate their movement into Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Laos. Many are lured with fraudulent job offers and forced into cyber fraud operations, leading to severe human rights violations.
Official travel data revealed an increase in travel to Bangkok in Thailand with around 48,000 people going in 2023 and 78,000 in 2024. Most of these travellers possess visit visas, making it a tough task for immigration officials to profile those heading towards cyber scam centres. Agents often arrange visit visas to Thailand before securing work permits for border areas in Cambodia and Laos, where fraudulent activities are rampant.
TGCSB proposed the establishment of a dedicated desk at airports to identify and profile travellers heading to high-risk regions. However, the immigration officials cited manpower shortages as a challenge in setting up a separate desk.
TGCSB suggested distributing awareness materials, including posters and pamphlets, at Shamshabad Airport in coordination with GMR services