Freed from Cambodia's scam compounds, trafficking victims face a new crisis

Key Points:

• Phnom Penh was a major hub for a large-scale online scam industry that exploited thousands of foreign workers, many of whom were trafficked and forced to work under coercive conditions until a recent government crackdown shut down these operations.
• The crackdown led to a humanitarian crisis as tens of thousands of stranded migrant workers were released onto the streets without support, shelter, or resources, facing visa fines and limited access to assistance amid a hostile bureaucratic environment.
• Investigations and reports by Amnesty International and others have documented widespread human trafficking, forced labor, and torture within these scam compounds, with many victims from countries like Indonesia, Uganda, Ghana, and Sierra Leone.
• The U.S. sanctioned Cambodian conglomerate Prince Holding Group and indicted its chairman for directing forced-labor scam operations, leading to arrests and extraditions of key figures, which contributed to the collapse and relocation of scam networks from Cambodia.
• Despite government claims of rescuing and repatriating scam workers lawfully, NGOs report increased detention of migrants under harsh conditions, with limited access to legal aid and embassy support, raising concerns about violations of international obligations.