Cambodia Deports 164 Chinese Nationals in Latest Immigration Enforcement Operation
Cambodia Deports 164 Chinese Nationals in Latest Immigration Enforcement Operation
PHNOM PENH, 21 September 2026 — Cambodian authorities deported 164 Chinese nationals, including one woman, on September 19 following investigations that allegedly linked them to illegal border crossings, unlawful residence and employment, drug use and technology-facilitated online scams.
The group was deported on a special flight through the Immigration Police Post at Techo International Airport, according to Cambodia’s General Department of Immigration.
The deportation was carried out under the direction of Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sar Sokha and Lieutenant General Sok Veasna, Director General of the General Department of Immigration.
Authorities said the deportees were found to have been involved in various violations of Cambodian law, including illegal border crossings, illegal residence and employment, drug use and online scam activities.
The latest deportation forms part of Cambodia’s broader nationwide campaign against technology-enabled crime and illegal activities involving foreign nationals.
Cambodian authorities have significantly expanded enforcement against online scam operations in 2026. In August alone, the General Department of Immigration reported deporting 2,005 foreign nationals from 32 nationalities, including 574 people directly linked to cyber-scam syndicates. Three chartered flights were arranged that month to deport 473 Chinese nationals, 228 of whom were linked to scam operations.
As of June 30, Cambodia had deported 21,102 foreign nationals from 38 nationalities amid inspections and investigations targeting illegal immigration and online-scam networks, according to government figures.
The Cambodian government has also said it will maintain the crackdown and strengthen international cooperation against online scams, which it describes as an increasingly complex form of transnational crime. Cambodia is scheduled to host the International Conference on Combating Online Scams (ICCOS-2026) in Phnom Penh on September 23–24, bringing together governments, law-enforcement agencies and other stakeholders to discuss coordinated action against scam networks.
The authorities did not provide further details on the individual cases involving the 164 Chinese nationals, including whether any were prosecuted in Cambodia before their deportation.
