By Islam El-Sakka
Cambodia's nationwide crackdown on illegal scam operations has released tens of thousands of workers but created a humanitarian crisis, with hundreds still stranded months later, according to an Associated Press report.
Crackdown triggers humanitarian crisis
The campaign, which intensified early this year, shut down fortified compounds where an estimated 100,000 workers ran web-based scams. Many were trafficking victims lured by false job promises. Police raids forced workers onto the streets of Phnom Penh, where they faced arbitrary detention, harassment, and a government ban on housing. Nearly a year later, hundreds remain without shelter or means to return home.
Elites avoid accountability
Critics say the crackdown has not touched Cambodian political and business elites who financed and protected the scam networks. The U.S. Congress has called for sanctions against senior politicians and relatives of Prime Minister Hun Manet. Transnational crime expert Jacob Daniel Sims urged accountability for cabinet-level officials, senators, and members of the prime minister's family. Information Minister Neth Pheaktra rejected claims of failing trafficking victims, stating all individuals are screened and victims receive protection, but provided no evidence of such a process.
Thousands stranded without support
Repatriation efforts have been uneven. China reported repatriating over 20,000 workers by June. Vietnam's border province received more than 1,700 in the first half of 2026. The Indonesian Embassy recorded 12,940 requests for assistance, with 700 still in Cambodia. Uganda's ambassador said she helped 1,000 Africans return. Many workers lack passports, seized by operators, and face fines for visa violations.
Government policies worsen situation
A ban on lodging rentals to former workers left many sleeping on streets for days. Police roundups sent ex-workers to detention centers like Mango 2, where they slept on crowded floors until aid groups secured tickets home. The government has seized $1 billion in assets from one alleged network and asked Interpol to track 29 ringleaders, but has not shown action against high-level perpetrators.
