Source: Kiri Post
More than 400 people from nine countries have been deported from Cambodia in one swoop after being found to be illegally living and working in the country, cross-border theft and using fake QR codes.
On February 2, 2026, the General department of Immigration (GDI) released photos of foreign nationals being deported from Techo International Airport. It said 406 foreigners were expelled from the country, of which 28 were females.
They came from China, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Uganda, Nigeria, South Korea, India, Thailand and Sierra leon. Chinese nationals made up the bulk, with 140 being deported.
Two days before, police deported 59 Vietnamese from the country for the same reason. On January 23 to 26, 2026, police also deported nearly 750 Malaysians. On January 31,2026, a major raid in Bavet city, Svay Rieng province netted more than 2,000 foreigners from nine countries.
Khun Tharo, Programme Manager for the Centre for Alliance of Labour and Human Rights (CENTRAL), welcomed the series of raids on scam centres, as well as the deportation of those involved.
However, he said more focus should be put on catching the masterminds behind them as it is “more important to gain trust back from the international community” to rebuild the country’s reputation.
Tharo added that despite the large-scale crack downs, Cambodian citizens and related sectors still have trust issues and want to see those behind the online scams and the owners of the compounds where they operate brought to justice.
Regarding illegally living and working in Cambodia, Tharo said it is because “there may be systemic corruption that requires investigation and finding those involved”.
In 2025, Cambodia deported 13,557 foreign nationals from 66 countries after authorities determined they were involved in criminal activities, according to the GDI.