Human rights advocates say at least some of the eight ethnic minority Uyghurs who remain in Thailand’s custody since authorities deported 40 others to China last month are at risk of the same fate.

The United States has imposed visa restrictions on Thai officials following the repatriation of 40 Uyghurs from Thailand to China on February 27, 2025. The decision, announced by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio,

The State Department said it was “combating China’s efforts to pressure governments to forcibly return Uyghurs and other groups to China.”