PHNOM PENH: Cambodia’s General Department of Immigration (GDI) has denied online reports claiming that the government is targeting Africans in a new deportation campaign.
An English-language document purporting to be from the GDI that has been circulating online claims that all African nationals with “expired immigration waivers” must leave Cambodia by May 31 or face arrest, imprisonment or heavy fines.
The document, which even features the forged signatures of Som Sopheak, GDI director-general, and Sar Sokha, Minister of Interior, is false, according to a May 29 GDI statement.
“The General Department of Immigration of the Ministry of Interior of the Kingdom of Cambodia wishes to clarify that the information published on those websites is completely untrue,” the statement said.
The clarification referred specifically to reports published by websites identified as Campaigner Online and News Ghana, which claimed Cambodian authorities had issued a directive ordering African nationals with expired immigration waivers to leave.
Immigration waivers were issued to a number of workers with expired visas, often those who were freed or fled from scam centres, in order to allow them time to arrange passage back to their home countries.
“To obtain official information, the public are requested to visit the official website of the General Department of Immigration or call (+855) 78 38 66 99 directly,” said the GDI statement.
The clarification comes amid growing global concerns over online misinformation involving migration policies and fabricated government notices, particularly on social media and lesser-known news websites where unverified claims can spread rapidly across borders.
The false reports appeared to gain traction because they included detailed allegations about immigration penalties and referenced the names of Cambodian officials, giving the impression of authenticity.
Cambodia regularly enforces immigration and visa regulations for all foreign nationals regardless of nationality, including penalties for overstaying visas under existing immigration laws.
However, the GDI made it clear that no special directive targeting African nationals had been issued. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
