Danger! 8,000 Indonesians in Cambodia Request Repatriation, Trapped in Scam Syndicates
The wave of Indonesian citizens (WNI) in Cambodia requesting assistance for repatriation to the homeland continues to experience a sharp surge. As of Tuesday (5/5/2026), 8,002 Indonesians have been recorded as reporting directly to the Indonesian Embassy in Phnom Penh since the trend of rising cases began in mid-January 2026.
Quoting an official release from the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemlu) on Wednesday (6/5/2026), out of the thousands of reporters, the Phnom Penh Embassy has so far successfully facilitated the return of 3,348 Indonesians to Indonesia. These Indonesians generally come seeking protection after escaping the clutches of online scam networks.
“Since mid-April 2026, there has been an upward trend in complaints with an average of more than 100 Indonesians reporting every day. Even on 5 May, the number of reporters reached 180 Indonesians in one day,” states the official explanation from the Phnom Penh Embassy.
This drastic increase in the number of reporters is occurring alongside the increasingly intensive operations to eradicate online scam networks conducted by the Cambodian Government following the Khmer New Year celebrations. These law enforcement operations are now targeting areas that were previously rarely touched by raids, including the border city of Poipet, known as one of the concentration points for Indonesians.
Most of the Indonesians who come to report claim to be in pitiful conditions, ranging from not holding passports, facing issues with expired stay permits (overstay), to financial limitations to buy return tickets. In response to this situation, the Embassy continues to strengthen coordination with Cambodian authorities to request administrative leniency.
“The Phnom Penh Embassy continues to strengthen coordination with the Cambodian Government to request the waiver of overstay fines to accelerate the repatriation process for Indonesians. To date, Cambodian authorities have approved the waiver of overstay fines for 4,677 Indonesians,” explained the Embassy.
However, this massive surge in the number of reporters has pushed the capacity of the temporary shelter managed by the Phnom Penh Embassy to its maximum point. As a result, several newly reporting Indonesians are forced to join the waiting list before they can get a place in the official shelter.
Indonesian representatives estimate that the number of Indonesians needing assistance will continue to rise gradually as the cleaning operations against illegal networks by local police continue in various areas. The Embassy also urges Indonesians who have obtained documents and fine waivers to act independently in providing tickets.
“The Phnom Penh Embassy urges Indonesians who have obtained approval for overstay fine waivers and received travel documents to immediately purchase tickets to Indonesia. This step is necessary to make room for other Indonesians still waiting for the process,” added the statement.
In addition to repatriation efforts, the Indonesian government is also issuing strong warnings to Indonesians who have successfully returned to Indonesia not to be tempted to return to Cambodia. This is emphasised to break the chain of recruitment by online scam networks that have long targeted Indonesian workers.