During the first ten days of September, Phnom Penh's General Department of Immigration announced that 1,035 undocumented foreigners had been deported, including more than 100 women. The deportees came from around 30 different countries.
Those sent away were mostly caught up in familiar offenses: online scams, illegal entry, working without proper papers, dealing in fake visas, and drug offenses. More than 500 Chinese nationals linked to cyber-scam operations were flown out directly on chartered flights from Techo International Airport. Meanwhile, 65 Thais and 86 Vietnamese were sent back across land borders through Poipet and Tbong Khmum respectively.
Over iced coffee at neighborhood hangouts, locals and expats are already used to these crackdowns. When checkpoints checking passports and visas pop up more often at major intersections, landlords remind tenants to carry their documents whenever they head out and to steer clear of shady compounds known for illegal activities.
