Yesterday near the Naga World casino in Phnom Penh, a Chinese man broke down on the street, weeping and calling out for help as a crowd gathered around him. Local media reported that after the Chinese Embassy stepped in, he was transferred yesterday to the holding center near Phnom Penh’s old airport, where he is now waiting to be deported back home.
Anyone familiar with Phnom Penh knows that strip around Naga. It’s packed day and night—tuk-tuk drivers shouting for fares, street food smoke thick in the air alongside motorbike exhaust. A person doesn't lay out their despair in public like that, right in the middle of all those passing strangers, unless they've hit absolute rock bottom.
The holding center at the old airport mostly handles people awaiting deportation, running identity checks and working through the necessary paperwork. He is off the street now, and hopefully the rest of the process goes smoothly so he can make it back home soon.
