Thousands more foreign workers have recently inundated into Phnom Penh. They are asking for asylum after fleeing criminal enterprise online slave factories and gray market operations all the way from outside in Cambodia. It’s easy to forget that a hundred million Indonesians, Chinese, South Asians and Africans would love to join the growing wave. They are all desperate to escape the country and come back home.
One recent high-profile arrest has unleashed a wave of foreign workers. This incident has been a catalyst for heightened government oversight on these criminal enterprises that perpetrate human trafficking and internet-based scams. This move comes in response to growing global calls for Cambodia to salvage the situation with an international outcry over the alarming trend of these illegal enterprises. America’s anti-trafficking agencies are watching the unfolding situation with grave concern. At the same time, foreign workers remain exposed and unable to comprehend the labyrinth of barriers they must overcome to escape their situation.
In particular, Indonesian citizens who escaped from scam compounds have gathered outside their embassy in Phnom Penh, waiting to file complaints about their experiences. These people certainly aren’t the only ones fighting this good fight. Like so many others making these heartbreaking calls, they are desperately trying to connect with their home embassies and get assistance returning home. Its broad implications highlight the pressing need for mechanisms of support for these non-native workers who’ve been preyed upon in a realm of exploitation.
The Cambodian government has come under increasing fire to crack down on these online scam companies operating within its borders. And officials have raised their game to crack down on these networks. In doing so, their aim must be to safeguard the welfare conditions of international employees building a life in the country. Despite these efforts, many individuals remain at risk as they navigate a system that often leaves them exposed and without recourse.
The surge of foreign workers into Phnom Penh has drawn significant attention to the broader issues of online scams and human trafficking within Cambodia. With each additional person that steps up to tell their story, we see just how widespread this issue is. Anti-trafficking agencies have their eyes on the ongoing developments and are working to provide support to those who require it.