ASEAN NETWORK NEWS | Thousands of Indonesian nationals have been swept up in a month-long large-scale crackdown conducted by Cambodian authorities. The Indonesian Embassy in Phnom Penh provided consular assistance to roughly 1,100 Indonesian citizens being held at a Cambodian government detention facility in Pochentong, Phnom Penh, on Thursday, July 8.
In response, the embassy's team, working alongside the Directorate of Citizen Protection at Indonesia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, moved quickly to register the detainees and issue Travel Documents in Lieu of Passport (SPLP) for those who had lost their travel documents.
The embassy urged Indonesian citizens who already hold valid travel documents not to delay and to promptly purchase tickets home. It noted that many Indonesians remain in Cambodia even after obtaining an SPLP and receiving approval from the Cambodian government to waive overstay fines.
Cambodian authorities continue to intensify their crackdown on online scam operations at various suspected scam center locations across the country. As a result, the number of Indonesians formerly tied to these fraud networks seeking help from the embassy keeps climbing.
Thousands Seeking Repatriation After Being Trapped in 'Scam Centers'
According to official figures, requests for evacuation assistance from Indonesians in Cambodia have surged sharply. Between January 1 and July 9 this year alone, 12,207 Indonesian citizens reported their situation and requested help returning home. Of that number, only around 5,966 have successfully been repatriated to Indonesia so far.
The problem is not confined to a single location. Beyond the Pochentong facility, Cambodian authorities have also detained more than 600 additional Indonesian citizens from various hidden sites believed to be online scam centers. These individuals are now spread across detention centers in Bati, Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, and Sihanoukville.
Krishnajie, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim at the Indonesian Embassy in Phnom Penh, issued a firm warning urging the public not to be lured by illegal job offers in Cambodia that ultimately lead into criminal networks.
"For Indonesians who have already returned home, do not go back to Cambodia and get involved in online scam networks," Krishnajie said in a statement, as cited from the Foreign Ministry's official website on Saturday, July 11, 2026.
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