Background
The General Department of Immigration (GDI) operates under Cambodia’s Ministry of Interior and administers border control, visa processing, detention, and deportation procedures. Cambodia’s immigration enforcement framework allows authorities to detain, investigate, and remove non-citizens who commit immigration offenses or specified criminal acts on Cambodian territory.
Between 1 and 10 August 2026, GDI reported coordinated removal operations designed to enforce immigration law and disrupt cross-border criminal activity, including technology-enabled fraud. The removals reflect an operational emphasis on rapid identification, administrative processing, and transport of non-citizens judged to be in breach of immigration or criminal statutes.
Key Developments
Authorities reported the deportation of 788 foreign nationals (including 92 women) from Cambodia over a 10-day period from 1–10 August 2026. The deportees represented 21 nationalities; the largest group comprised 315 Chinese nationals (including 15 women) who were identified as linked to online-scamming operations. A separate group of 14 Thai nationals (including three women) were also deported for involvement in online fraud, processed via the Cham Yeam international border post in Koh Kong province.
Other grounds for removal cited by GDI included illegal border crossings, document falsification, overstaying visas, fraud involving payments, use of counterfeit QR codes, trading and using narcotics, illegal work, and other criminal offenses. Many deportations were executed through Phnom Penh’s Techo International Airport and Siem Reap Angkor International Airport.
Institutional Role
GDI stated that the operation proceeded under direct operational guidance from Deputy Prime Minister Sar Sokha and the department leadership of Director General Sok Vassana. The agency cited national directives from Prime Minister Hun Manet emphasizing that Cambodia will not permit criminal actors or persons without legal status to use Cambodian territory as a base for fraud or activities that threaten public security.
Operational Implications
The reported activity indicates sustained enforcement capacity for rapid processing and removal of non-citizens across multiple entry and exit points, including major international airports and land border posts. The public reporting of nationalities and offense types signals an enforcement priority on technology-enabled fraud alongside conventional immigration violations.
Official Source
General Department of Immigration, social media statement (GDI official channels), 11 August 2026; links circulated via GDI Facebook, TikTok, and Telegram accounts.
