Cambodia: Cambodian authorities have deported 406 foreign nationals for illegal entry and labour violations, the General Department of Immigration (GDI) announced on Monday. The mass deportation, carried out on Jan. 31, followed directives from the Ministry of Interior to tighten enforcement of national immigration laws. The group included citizens from nine different countries: China, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Uganda, Nigeria, South Korea, India, Thailand, and Sierra Leone.
According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, H.E. Lt. Gen. Sok Veasna, Director General of Immigration, stated that the deportees, including 28 women, were found to be residing and working in the Kingdom without valid permits. "The individuals were expelled following investigations into illegal border crossings and the use of fraudulent QR codes to bypass official documentation requirements," the GDI stated. Of the 406 individuals removed, Chinese nationals constituted the largest group, totaling 140 people.