Indonesia to repatriate nearly 3,600 citizens from Cambodia after online scam crackdown
The Indonesian government also plans to lease several planes to speed up the repatriation process of its citizens rather than rely on commercial flights.
The Indonesian Embassy in Phnom Penh is coordinating with several agencies in Indonesia, including law enforcement officials to facilitate the examination of repatriated Indonesians upon arrival in Jakarta. (Photo: Website/Indonesian Embassy in Phnom Penh)
JAKARTA: Indonesia has begun to repatriate close to 3,600 of its citizens from Cambodia after a crackdown on online gambling and scam operations there, its embassy in Phnom Penh said.
The repatriation process will be conducted in phases and is expected to continue until Mar 4, the embassy said on Saturday (Feb 14). A first group of 743 Indonesians was set to return on Sunday, it added.
Meanwhile, the embassy noted that some 225 Indonesians have also returned to Indonesia independently since Jan 30.
The Indonesian nationals could return home after registering with their embassy and completing preliminary assessments. As of Sunday, assessments indicate that the 3,595 Indonesians were not victims of human trafficking.
The assessment was conducted using tools developed by the Indonesian foreign ministry in collaboration with various international organisations including the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the embassy said in a statement on Saturday, as reported by news outlet Antara.
The assessment was also conducted in accordance with national regulations and laws related to human trafficking, the statement added.
Most Indonesians who reported themselves lacked valid passports and were fined by the Cambodian immigration authorities, said the embassy.
Indonesia’s ambassador to Cambodia Santo Darmosaumarto said all returnees would undergo further screening upon arrival in Jakarta, reported Jakarta Globe.
“The embassy will ensure that once they arrive in Jakarta, they will be subject to follow-up examinations by the relevant authorities,” Santo said.
He added that Indonesians found to be linked to online scam activities would face legal action, and that the embassy in Phnom Penh is intensifying coordination with Indonesian law enforcement agencies to ensure those with legal issues are promptly investigated upon return.
The embassy is continuing to intensify data collection, conduct legal verification and case assessments and issue travel documents to facilitate the repatriation process, Santo said.
On Feb 5, director-general for protection at the Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Agency Rinardi said the government plans to lease several planes to speed up the return process rather than rely on commercial flights.
“These chartered planes will be used specifically to bring them home,” said Rinardi, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.
The repatriation follows large-scale crackdowns by Cambodian authorities targeting regional cybercrime syndicates.
Between Jan 16 and 20, more than 1,400 Indonesians left cyberscam networks in Cambodia and sought help from the Indonesian embassy in Phnom Penh.
Meanwhile, 73 South Koreans were repatriated from Cambodia after being accused of online scam operations and allegations of defrauding more than 800 of their countrymen of about US$33 million, according to officials.
Cambodian authorities have deported approximately 3,375 foreigners in a week-long crackdown on online scam operations since Feb 1, according to the General Department of Immigration in Phnom Penh as reported by Camboja News.
During the operations, police detained 3,575 individuals of nine nationalities, including citizens from China, South Korea, Japan, the United States, the Philippines, Pakistan, India and Russia.
In the past eight months, 14,041 foreigners have also been deported, reported the justice ministry in Phnom Penh. The Commission for Combating Online Scams in Phnom Penh also reported that 130,000 people left Cambodia between January and early February 2026.
