Surge in Indonesians seeking repatriation as Cambodia cracks down on scam centres
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Indonesian nationals, who were formerly employed in scam centres, line up for questioning on Feb 22 at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, upon returning from Cambodia on commercial airliners.
PHOTO: INDONESIAN EMBASSY IN PHNOM PENH
- Indonesia has seen a surge in nationals seeking repatriation from Cambodia after a crackdown on cyber scam centres involving pig-butchering schemes and investment fraud.
- Cambodia has raided over 250 scam sites and deported nearly 50,000 foreigners, causing overcrowded detention centres and many Indonesians awaiting repatriation.
- Indonesia uses a Subject of Interest system to monitor high-risk travellers linked to scams, balancing citizen protection with travel rights amid evolving scam syndicates in South-east Asia.
AI generated
JAKARTA – Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry has recorded a surge in Indonesian nationals seeking repatriation from Cambodia, following Phnom Penh’s sweeping crackdown on transnational cyber scam syndicates behind pig-butchering schemes and investment fraud.
A total of 11,986 Indonesians have filed requests for repatriation between January and June. The figure has more than doubled compared with the 5,088 repatriation requests recorded throughout 2025.
