PHNOM PENH, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia has expelled 72,426 illegal foreign nationals over three years, from September 2023 to September 2026, an official said on Thursday.
Ministry of Interior Spokesperson Touch Sokhak said that of those deported, approximately 25,703 were linked to online scams.
He noted that during the first eight months of 2026 alone, the kingdom deported 52,224 illegal foreign nationals from 85 countries.
"Among them, 18,393 individuals from 38 nationalities lived and worked illegally in connection with online scams," he said in a news release.
According to the spokesperson, currently 1,605 foreign nationals from 30 countries are being held at five deportation centers in the Southeast Asian country.
Of these detainees, 469 people from 15 nationalities were found to be working and residing illegally in relation to online scam operations, he added. ■