KUALA LUMPUR - Cambodia’s crackdown on online scam centres has created a new challenge, with many foreign workers left stranded without jobs, money or travel documents.
Analysts warned that the situation could lead to social problems, renewed recruitment into scam operations or even a humanitarian crisis.
Prime Minister Hun Manet had earlier pledged to shut down all scam centres by the end of April to restore investor and tourist confidence.
Authorities said they had raided more than 250 scam locations and shut down 91 casinos between July 2025 and mid-April 2026.
The operations mainly targeted scam hubs in Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville and border areas near Thailand and Vietnam.
Many foreign workers, including Indonesians, have reportedly been left sleeping on the streets while waiting for help from their embassies to return home.
Some claimed they were tricked into working in scam compounds after being promised legitimate jobs.
Others were unable to leave because their passports had been confiscated or because they had overstayed their visas while trapped in the compounds.
The Cambodian government said nearly 241,888 foreigners from countries including China, Pakistan and Indonesia had voluntarily left the country between mid-January and April 19.
However, many former scam workers are still in Cambodia, with some staying in shelters run by non-governmental organisations or temporary holding centres.
Independent analyst Vanly Seng warned that leaving displaced workers without proper support could create a secondary security crisis.
Cybersecurity researcher John Wojcik said the situation has quickly turned into a humanitarian disaster.
Thailand has also tightened border controls amid concerns that scam syndicates could relocate to neighbouring countries following Cambodia’s crackdown.
Cambodia said it remains committed to dismantling scam networks and cutting off their financial operations to achieve a long-term solution.
Analysts, however, said shutting down scam compounds alone would not fully solve the problem without targeting the criminal and financial networks behind the operations.
