Background
The General Department of Immigration (GDI) administers entry, stay and exit controls at Cambodia’s airports and international border checkpoints and executes removal procedures for non-citizens who violate immigration rules. Between 1 and 10 July 2026, the General Department of Immigration reported deporting 1,362 foreign nationals of 24 nationalities for violations including illegal entry, use of forged documents, overstaying, and illegal employment.
The deportation operations described by GDI were carried out through airport special flights and by transfers at international land border posts, with the agency also reporting targeted action against online fraud rings and document forgery. The campaign addressed multiple offence types identified by immigration authorities, including the use of forged QR-code documents, illegal cross-border entry, unregistered residency, unauthorized work, online scams, and unlawful drug possession.
Key Developments
GDI announced that 1,362 foreign nationals were removed from the country during the 10-day operation running from 1–10 July 2026; the group included 243 women and citizens from 24 nationalities. Reported nationalities with specified counts included 170 Chinese nationals (including 8 women), 45 Vietnamese nationals (including 3 women), and 79 Thai nationals (including 35 women); removals were processed through airport and land-border posts, including special flights at Phnom Penh’s international airport and multiple international border crossings.
Institutional Role
GDI framed the operation as an execution of legal measures directed by senior government leadership and coordinated under the Ministry of Interior’s oversight. The agency cited responsibility for investigating immigration-related offences and coordinating removals, victim assistance, and inter-agency cooperation with police and border authorities.
Operational Implications
The operation underscores the use of checkpoint-specific procedures and special-flight removals as operational tools for immigration enforcement in Cambodia. GDI also reported elements of victim assistance and repatriation for persons judged to have been exploited by online scams, indicating combined enforcement and protection actions within the removal operations.
Source
Public statement from the General Department of Immigration (GDI), 12 July 2026. Original post: GDI Facebook post.
