Two Kenyan men are appealing for help after they were trafficked to Taiwan on the promise that they would be connected to opportunities allowing them to perform in art shows.
According to the two men who spoke during an interview with Taiwan News Plus, they were lured to the foreign nation by an unscrupulous agent who learned about their acrobatic skills. He would then lead them to believe that a world of opportunities was awaiting them.
The men revealed that they had escaped from their hosts who had forced them into hard labour in agriculture fields and recycling plants in an unidentified part of the Asian nation.
During the interview, the two revealed that since escaping they had been living in shelters. They categorically stated that their problems started after being forced to sign contracts they barely understood.
From the interview, it emerged that they had allegedly been forced to take up jobs which paid them less than the minimum wage despite the Taiwanese labour regulations classifying their daily engagements as white collar jobs.
On top of that they were forced to sleep in horse stables after a gruelling day of work.
The two therefore appealed for placement in the Taiwanese performing arts jobs industry insisting that it would be a boost for them to make use of their talents.
“As for me if I can get a chance to work in a circus, I would be grateful because that is a talent inside of me. I keep on training even if I won’t work anywhere," stated one of the men.
According to Taiwanese labour authorities, the two may be victims of a human trafficking syndicate that has been smuggling migrant workers to the country.
Kenyan workers have been in the recent past been victims of rogue agents who take advantage of desperate persons struggling to secure jobs in their home country.
In February 2024, a Kenyan woman passed away after freezing in the cold at a shelter in Canada where she was awaiting her documents to be processed.
Reports indicated that the lady had just arrived at the North American country three days prior to her death in search of greener pastures.
