In the first six months of 2026, the Ministry of Interior’s General Department of Immigration stopped 198 Cambodian women from travelling. According to information released by the ministry on July 20, 2026, immigration officers became suspicious, conducted checks and interviews, and found that the journeys lacked clear purposes, which the ministry linked to human trafficking.
The plight of Cambodian women deceived by brokers into going abroad is a central concern for Sar Sokha, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Interior and chair of the National Committee for Counter Trafficking, in line with the leadership principles of Prime Minister Hun Manet.
At the closing of the conference reviewing anti-human-trafficking work in 2025 and setting directions for 2026, Sar Sokha instructed the National Committee for Counter Trafficking, local authorities and all relevant actors in society to continue working together to expand public outreach and education through every available channel on the dangers of human trafficking.
The interior minister also stressed that offenders both inside and outside the country continued to use deceptive tactics and every means available to lure Cambodians with promises of marriage to foreign spouses and a wealthy life, or well-paid jobs abroad.
In the first six months of 2025, more than 5,000 Cambodians who had committed various offences abroad were sent back to Cambodia by the relevant foreign authorities. Cambodian authorities also cooperated in rescuing and returning 180 Cambodian women who had been deceived by brokers into marrying foreigners.
By: ង៉ែត ពិសាន្ត
Cambodia stops overseas travel by nearly 200 women over suspected irregularities in first half of 2026
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Summary
The Interior Ministry said immigration officers stopped 198 Cambodian women from travelling in the first half of 2026 after checks raised concerns about unclear travel purposes and links to human trafficking. It urged wider public awareness of recruitment and marriage scams.
