Sierra Leone’s Minister of Employment, Labour and Social Security, Mohamed Rahman Swaray has requested from his Thai counterpart, Hon. Phiphat Ratohakit Prakaran, to facilitate the unconditional release and repatriation of two Sierra Leonean nationals who are allegedly imprisoned in Thailand.

Hon. Swaray made the request to his Thai counterpart during a meeting on the side-lines of the first Global Labour Market Conference (GLMC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Thursday, 14th December 2023.

The two Sierra Leoneans, Daniel Fanne Sesay and Alpha Bundu, were trafficked from Sierra Leone to Thailand by illegal recruiters on the pretext that they were going to get lucrative jobs in Thailand.  But on arrival in Thailand, Hon. Swaray went further, they were allegedly arrested and detained by the Thai police.

He said that the two Sierra Leonan nationals had been incarcerated in Thailand for a couple of months and that the Government of Sierra Leone was concerned about their plight.

“Your Excellency, as a government, we are concerned about the plight of our nationals currently imprisoned in Thailand. The two young men were illegally tricked and trafficked into your country in the guise of colourful job employment. But on arrival, it is alleged that they were arrested and imprisoned. I am requesting your good office to facilitate their unconditional release and repatriation to Sierra Leone,” Hon. Swaray said.

Responding, Thailand’s Minister of Labour, Phiphat Ratohakit Prakaran assured that he would do all in his powers to ensure that the request is given utmost consideration and the two Sierra Leoneans are released and repatriated back to Sierra Leone.

The two ministers also discussed issues to foster collaboration and common interest to expand opportunities in the labour market for Sierra Leone and Thailand.