Background
Immigration enforcement is a core public administration function used to control entry, residence, employment status, and removal of foreign nationals. Immigration enforcement in Cambodia includes procedures for removing foreign nationals who violate entry, stay, or work conditions under the authority of the Ministry of Interior and the General Department of Immigration.
Deportation is an administrative immigration measure that removes a foreign national from Cambodian territory after authorities determine that the person is not permitted to remain. Airport border police posts function as exit-control points for removals conducted through international flights.
The General Department of Immigration said the case involved foreign nationals connected to online scams, illegal stay, and illegal work. The case links immigration control with cross-border cooperation because the removals were carried out in coordination with the Chinese Embassy.
Enforcement Actions
According to the General Department of Immigration, 330 Chinese nationals, including 6 women, were deported from Cambodia during the night of 5 May into 6 May 2026. The department stated that the deportees were involved in online scam cases and cases of illegal stay and illegal work.
The removals were conducted by special aircraft through the police post at Techo International Airport. The operation was carried out by the Department of Investigation and Procedure Implementation under instructions from the leadership of the Ministry of Interior and the Director General of Immigration.
Institutional Role
The General Department of Immigration is the Cambodian authority responsible for immigration administration, border control procedures, and removal processes involving foreign nationals. In this case, the department worked with the Chinese Embassy on the deportation of Chinese nationals identified by Cambodian authorities.
The use of an international airport for deportation reflects the operational role of airport border police in processing removals by air. Such procedures require coordination between immigration authorities, border police, and the receiving country’s diplomatic representatives when foreign nationals are returned.
Operational Implications
The case documents Cambodia’s continued use of deportation as an immigration enforcement tool in cases involving online scam allegations and immigration-status violations. It also records the General Department of Immigration’s role in handling foreign nationals accused of illegal stay and unauthorized work.
For long-term reference, the development is relevant to immigration enforcement, foreign labor control, and cross-border responses to online scam networks operating in or through Cambodia.
