Cambodia Prevents Over 200 Women From Traveling Abroad Amid Trafficking Concerns

Cambodian authorities have prevented approximately 200 Cambodian women from traveling abroad in the first half of the year, suspecting they were at risk of human trafficking. The move highlights the government's increased scrutiny on outbound travelers as part of its anti-trafficking efforts. Sok Veasna, Director General of the Department of Immigration, stated on Monday that nearly 400 individuals from 22 countries were barred from leaving Cambodia during the period. These restrictions were due to pending legal complaints, being on official watchlists, or concerns about recruitment through fraudulent schemes. Among them, nearly 200 Cambodian women are suspected of being deceived into traveling abroad for work or marriage. Most of the suspected trafficking victims were believed to have been recruited for travel to China. Cambodian and Chinese authorities have a history of cooperating to repatriate women identified as trafficking victims. Last year, Cambodia repatriated nearly 100 women from China who were allegedly trafficked there, many after accepting job offers only to be forced into marriage. Rights group Licadho has documented the trafficking of women and girls into forced marriages for decades, often linked to economic hardship in Cambodia and China's gender imbalance. Victims are frequently recruited by brokers promising jobs or favorable marriages before being exploited. While commercial marriage brokering is prohibited in Cambodia, authorities acknowledge that much of this activity continues through informal networks. Government figures show fluctuations in the number of women repatriated from China as trafficking victims over the years, with 21 returned in 2013, 58 in 2014, 85 in 2015, and 112 cases reported in 2019. Am Sam Ath, operations director at Licadho, welcomed the authorities' actions but urged them to also investigate the brokers who recruit women for fraudulent marriages. The government's handling of trafficking has faced scrutiny in other areas as well. Rights groups have questioned Cambodia's treatment of individuals rounded up during its crackdown on online scam compounds, noting that suspected trafficking victims have often been detained or deported as offenders rather than identified and protected. Prior to Cambodia's extensive crackdown on the multi-billion dollar scam industry, the United Nations estimated that around 100,000 people from various countries were forced or coerced into working in scam compounds across the country.