Japan Backs Job Creation Drive for Cambodian Workers Repatriated from Thailand
Japan Backs Job Creation Drive for Cambodian Workers Repatriated from Thailand
PHNOM PENH, Feb 18, 2026 — Japan has pledged about $1 million to the International Labour Organization (ILO) to support employment and reintegration opportunities for Cambodian migrant workers returning from Thailand, Cambodia’s Minister of Labour posted on his official Facebook page on Wednesday.
The funding agreement was signed at the Japanese Embassy in Phnom Penh by Japan’s Ambassador to Cambodia Ueno Atsushi and Xiaoyan Qian, director of the ILO office for Cambodia, Laos and Thailand, in the presence of Cambodia’s Labour Minister Heng Sour.
The 24-month project, led by the ILO and Cambodia’s Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training with support from Japan’s Foreign Ministry, aims to strengthen response mechanisms to help returnee migrants access decent work and reintegrate into the domestic economy.
Under the initiative, three new Migrant Worker Resource Centres will be established in provinces with high numbers of returnees — Oddar Meanchey, Pursat and Preah Vihear — to provide counselling, outreach, data collection and legal assistance.
The project will also support job fairs at commune level, consultations with employers and trade unions, and targeted awareness campaigns in labour-intensive sectors such as garments, construction and manufacturing. Skills upgrading and short-term vocational training, including recognition of prior learning (RPL), will be offered to improve employability and entrepreneurship.
Ambassador Ueno said Japan was proud to support Cambodia and the ILO in responding to the urgent needs of returning workers, reflecting Tokyo’s commitment to human security and regional stability.
Labour Minister Heng Sour said the return of Cambodian workers requires a coordinated national response and that the project aligns with the government’s broader human resource development strategy.
ILO representative Xiaoyan Qian said the initiative would strengthen national reintegration systems by linking skills recognition, job matching and social protection to ensure effective support for former migrant workers.
