Kathmandu : Altogether 51 Nepalis who were fallen victims to online illegal scam operations in Cambodia have been rescued and repatriated to Nepal.
The victims had traveled to Cambodia through informal channels after being lured by promises of lucrative employment.
Upon arrival, they were forced to work in illegally operated online scamming centers and casinos and in some cases were involved in other illegal activities, according to the Nepali Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand.
Many were also found to be living without valid passports, said the Embassy which carried out the rescue operation with support from the Cambodian Embassy. The Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) in Cambodia also facilitated the rescue efforts.
The Embassy shared that the efforts are ongoing to identify and repatriate other Nepali nationals who were stranded or facing difficult conditions in Cambodia.
It is reported that some Nepali workers are being exploited in online fraud scheme and other illegal works, often overstaying visas or residing without proper documentations.
Authorities in the Embassy have noted complaints from the victims that their passport were confiscated by employers or lost during transfers between online scamming centres.
In such cases, the Embassy has been issuing free one-way travel permits to facilitate their return home, informed the Embassy.
The Nepali citizens residing illegally in Cambodia have been urged to contact the Nepali Embassy in Thailand or representatives of the NRNA in Cambodia to facilitate their return to Nepal.
According to Cambodia’s tourism data, the number of Nepalis travelling to Cambodia on visit visas has increased sharply in recent years; from 101 in 2021 to 1,977 in 2022.
The number kept rising to 2,940 in 2023, six thousand 404 in 2024 and 9,676 in 2025.
The Embassy, thus, has called on the Nepali citizens to follow official procedures, including obtaining labor permit before going abroad for employment.
It also appealed with them not to go for foreign employment under the pretext of travel to countries such as Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand by being lured by the temptations and the greed of making quick bucks and handsome earnings.
