Indonesia and Cambodia have agreed to intensify cooperation on immigration issues as cases involving Indonesian nationals continue to rise, the majority linked to online scams.
Indonesian ambassador to Cambodia Santo Darmosumarto met with Lour Rabo, deputy director-general of immigration at Cambodia’s Ministry of Interior, on September 4 in Phnom Penh.
Santo expressed gratitude for Cambodia’s support in handling cases affecting Indonesians living in the Kingdom.
“The embassy will amplify its advice to the Indonesian community to comply with the rules and regulations of the Cambodian Government,” he said, adding that Jakarta hopes deportation procedures can be processed more swiftly through close coordination.
Over the years, consular and immigration cases involving Indonesians have exponentially surged in line with the rapid growth of the Indonesian community in Cambodia.
The Indonesian embassy recorded 3,310 consular cases in 2024, but nearly matched that figure within the first seven months of 2025 with 3,256 cases — 83 per cent of which were linked to online scam operations.
Cambodian authorities have recently intensified raids on scam compounds, detaining hundreds of foreign nationals, including some Indonesians.
“The meeting focused on strengthening cooperation to implement deportation procedures for Indonesian citizens who had overstayed their visas and were working illegally in connection with past online scams,” according to the General Department of Immigration (GDI).
The embassy said it remains committed to working closely with Cambodian authorities to facilitate the deportation process for those apprehended.
Santo also highlighted the importance of implementing the outcomes of the Second Bilateral Immigration Meeting held in Bali in May. He pledged to strengthen cooperation.
“Indonesia stands ready to bolster its partnership with Cambodia in addressing transnational challenges, including online scams, human trafficking, drug trafficking and other forms of organized crime associated with irregular migration,” he said.
More than 131,000 Indonesians currently reside in Cambodia, with their numbers rising steadily in recent years.
