PHNOM PENH; Cambodia’s National Committee for Counter Trafficking (NCCT) has expressed dissatisfaction with the US Department of State’s 2026 Trafficking in Persons Report, which has once again placed Cambodia in Tier 3, the lowest ranking, for the fifth consecutive year.
In a statement on November 9, the NCCT said the assessment failed to reflect the government’s efforts and achievements in combating human trafficking. It expressed deep disappointment that Cambodia’s efforts over the past several years had not been appropriately recognised by the US State Department.
“The assessment does not fully reflect the strong political will, firm measures and tangible results achieved by the Royal Government of Cambodia,” it said.
In its October report, the US State Department outlined several reasons for its assessment, mainly relating to online scam operations, the perceived failure to hold those responsible accountable and the lack of adequate protection for victims.
The NCCT said the government had taken firm measures to combat all forms of human trafficking through the enforcement of the Law on the Suppression of Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation, as well as the Palermo Protocol, to detect crimes, identify victims and bring suspects to justice.
It added that authorities had also applied the principle of non-punishment to people forced to commit crimes, recognising them as victims rather than offenders.
Regarding technology-based scams, which are often linked to human trafficking, the committee said Cambodia had launched nationwide crackdowns on both large- and small-scale scam operations, rescuing thousands of people and shutting down hundreds of scam sites.
Suspects, including Cambodian and foreign ringleaders and members of transnational criminal networks, had been arrested and sent to court on an ongoing basis, it said.
However, the NCCT warned that technology-based scam operations were a transnational problem that Cambodia could not tackle alone. It noted that tens of thousands of foreign nationals had entered the country to engage in criminal activities and recruit people from other countries into scam operations.
“These technology-based scam crimes cannot be controlled by Cambodia alone,” the statement said.
It called on countries in the region and the international community to strengthen cooperation and share responsibility in addressing transnational crime.
The committee also highlighted its cooperation with civil society organisations and international partners in protecting and assisting victims, including through rehabilitation, repatriation and reintegration services.
Cambodian authorities had also facilitated the safe return of tens of thousands of vulnerable foreign nationals and migrants to their home countries, it said.
The NCCT acknowledged that Cambodia continued to face challenges and shortcomings that had prevented it from achieving the expected results.
It reaffirmed its commitment to continuing the fight against human trafficking, particularly technology-based scam operations, which it described as a growing form of transnational crime spreading worldwide.
It called on all countries in the region and around the world to “work together with commitment and shared responsibility to protect the safety and security of humanity”.
