Uyghurs living in several democratic countries in Europe and North America claim to be the target of harassment by Chinese authorities. Callers purporting to work for the Chinese state would ask Uyghurs living abroad to send extensive documentation and personal information, frequently making veiled threats concerning family members who still live in China. RFA reported in May 2017 that France was among the countries in which Chinese authorities ordered all Uyghurs students to return to their hometowns in China. Various media outlets reporting on this harassment explained that WeChat is a essential to Chinese authorities’ monitoring and harassment of the Uyghur diaspora.