Cambodia has issued a stern ultimatum to hundreds of African nationals residing in the country, ordering citizens of Ghana, Kenya, Cameroon, Uganda and several other African countries to leave before May 31, 2026, or face arrest, imprisonment and deportation.
In an official directive released by the General Department of Immigration under Cambodia’s Ministry of Interior, authorities warned that any affected foreign national found in the country from June 1 would be immediately arrested and prosecuted for overstaying immigration permissions.
The notice, signed by Lt. Gen. Som Sopheak, Director General of Immigration, and approved by Gen. Sar Sokha, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Interior, stated that a temporary immigration waiver previously granted to the affected nationals would expire on May 31.
According to the directive, individuals whose fines or immigration issues had already been settled must leave Cambodia before the deadline.
“The Cambodia Police will start arresting any foreigner at any hideout in Cambodia from the 1st of June 2026 for overstay and will hand over to the immigration authorities for legal action,” the statement warned.
Authorities said violators would face up to two years in prison, an $8,000 fine and eventual deportation.
The Cambodian government stressed that it would no longer tolerate breaches of immigration regulations as part of a wider national crackdown targeting illegal foreign residents and cybercrime-linked operations.
The move follows an aggressive immigration enforcement campaign that has seen thousands of foreigners deported from Cambodia in recent months.
Earlier this year, Cambodia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Sar Sokha, disclosed that about 48,000 foreign nationals had been deported since 2023 following intensified raids on scam centres and illegal compounds across the country. An additional 210,000 foreigners reportedly left voluntarily during the same period.
Many African nationals in Cambodia are believed to be connected to the country’s sprawling cyber scam industry, which has attracted international scrutiny over allegations of human trafficking, forced labour and online fraud.
A June 2025 report by Amnesty International alleged that more than 50 scam compounds operating across Cambodia functioned as prison-like centres where victims were subjected to slavery, torture and forced criminal activity under organised crime syndicates.
The report said many victims were recruited through fake job offers circulated on social media platforms before being trapped inside the compounds.
Most of the scam operations are concentrated in coastal provinces such as Preah Sihanouk and are considered central to a global cyber fraud industry estimated to generate between $50 billion and $75 billion annually.
U.S. authorities estimate that online scams linked to Southeast Asian syndicates cost American citizens alone more than $20 billion in losses last year.
Under mounting international pressure, the Cambodian government pledged in 2025 to dismantle all illegal scam compounds by the end of April 2026.
However, rights groups and critics have questioned the seriousness of the crackdown. The 2025 U.S. State Department Trafficking in Persons Report alleged that some senior Cambodian officials and politically connected business elites benefited from scam operations, contributing to their continued existence despite international condemnation.
An estimated 400 to 500 African nationals are expected to be directly affected by the expiration of the immigration waiver.
Authorities have urged all affected individuals to arrange immediate departure from Cambodia before enforcement begins on June 1.
