Cambodia has issued a stern ultimatum to African nationals in the country, ordering citizens of Ghana, Kenya, Cameroon, Uganda and others to leave before May 31, 2026.
Authorities warned that anyone found remaining from June 1 would face immediate arrest, a two-year prison sentence and an $8,000 fine before deportation proceedings are initiated.
In an official notice from the General Department of Immigration under the Ministry of Interior, signed by Lt. Gen. Som Sopheak, Director General of Immigration, and approved by Gen. Sar Sokha, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Interior, authorities stated that a temporary immigration waiver previously extended to the affected African nationals would officially expire on May 31.
The notice directed all those whose fines or immigration issues had been resolved to leave on or before the deadline.
“The Cambodia Police will start arresting any foreigner at any hideout in Cambodia from the 1st of June 2026 for overstay and will hand over to the immigration authorities for legal action,” the notice warned.
The Royal Government of Cambodia stressed that it would not tolerate any violation of its immigration laws.
The directive is part of a sweeping immigration crackdown that has seen Cambodia deport thousands of foreigners in recent months.
Cambodia’s Deputy Prime Minister Sar Sokha announced earlier this year that 48,000 foreign nationals had been deported since the launch of a widespread crackdown on scam centre compounds in 2023, with a further 210,000 having voluntarily departed the country.
The presence of African nationals in Cambodia is largely tied to the country’s notorious cyber scam industry.
Amnesty International found in a June 2025 report that more than 50 scamming compounds across Cambodia were sites of widespread slavery, human trafficking, forced labour and torture, operating as prison-like facilities controlled by organised criminal groups.
The report stated that many victims were lured through deceptive job advertisements posted on social media platforms.
These compounds, concentrated in coastal provinces such as Preah Sihanouk, are considered the engine room of a global criminal industry estimated to be worth between $50bn and $75bn.
The operations reportedly cost U.S. citizens alone more than $20bn in losses in the past year, making Cambodia one of the world’s most significant hubs for online fraud.
The Cambodian government pledged in 2025 to shut all illicit compounds by the end of April 2026 under mounting international pressure.
However, critics and human rights groups have questioned the sincerity of the crackdown.
The 2025 U.S. State Department Trafficking in Persons Report described senior Cambodian government officials and business elites as reportedly involved in and benefiting from scam operations, helping to explain their continued proliferation despite growing international scrutiny.
Around 400 to 500 African nationals are estimated to be directly affected by the expiry of the waiver.
Affected individuals have been urged to arrange immediate departures to avoid prosecution when enforcement begins on June 1.
