Families plead for urgent repatriation as reports emerge of overcrowding, hunger and lack of water in police custody.
More than 200 Pakistani nationals are reportedly being held in overcrowded Cambodian police facilities with severely limited access to food, clean water and basic sanitation, sparking urgent calls for intervention from their families and human rights advocates.
The detainees, many of whom claim they were victims of human trafficking, were swept up in a recent Cambodian government crackdown on online scam operations that have proliferated across the country, particularly in border areas like Poipet. Cambodian authorities have conducted multiple raids targeting cyber-fraud compounds that exploit foreign workers, often luring them with false promises of legitimate employment.
Trafficked Pakistanis Trapped in Scam Networks in Cambodia:
Families say many of the Pakistanis travelled to Cambodia after being recruited through deceptive job offers, often advertised as high-paying roles in IT, call centres or other sectors. Upon arrival, their passports were allegedly confiscated, and they were forced into illegal scam operations run by criminal networks, a pattern documented in similar cases across Southeast Asia.
“These young men went looking for a better future but fell into the hands of traffickers,” one family member told local media, requesting anonymity due to fears of reprisal. “Now they are suffering in jail with nothing to eat or drink. We beg the Pakistani government to bring them home.”
Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has previously dismantled trafficking networks operating between Pakistan and Cambodia, which targeted vulnerable youth with fake overseas employment schemes.
Pakistan Engages Cambodia on Repatriation of Detained Citizens:
Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) has confirmed it is engaging with Cambodian authorities. In a recent development, officials stated that Cambodia has agreed to the early repatriation of at least 54 detained Pakistanis. Embassy staff in Phnom Penh are actively following up on the cases.
However, concerns remain for the broader group. Rights groups have highlighted the vulnerability of trafficking victims caught in anti-crime operations, urging authorities to distinguish between perpetrators and those coerced into illegal activities.
Cambodia has intensified its campaign against transnational scam centres in recent years, often detaining hundreds of foreign nationals from countries including Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and China. While the operations aim to dismantle sophisticated fraud rings that prey on global victims, critics argue that the crackdowns sometimes overlook due process and humanitarian standards for those detained.
Call for accountability:
Pakistani officials and civil society groups have called on both governments to ensure humane treatment of detainees and expedite safe returns. Social media campaigns in Pakistan are amplifying the families’ appeals, with hashtags urging immediate diplomatic action.
As the situation unfolds, the plight of these men underscores broader regional challenges: the intersection of human trafficking, cybercrime, and the precarious lives of migrant workers seeking opportunity abroad.