The Cambodian embassy in Malaysia intervened to help repatriate nine migrant workers to Cambodia on August 29-30, while the Consulate General in China’s Chongqing municipality also cooperated with the local authorities to rescue and repatriate 12 women.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation spokesman Koy Kuong told The Post on August 30 that the nine workers in Malaysia had suffered hardships due to the Covid-19 pandemic and had requested that the Cambodian embassy help them return home.
Kuong said the embassy in Malaysia had facilitated the repatriation of the nine workers, including their children. Eight of them arrived at Phnom Penh International Airport via Singapore Airlines Flight SQ158 on August 29 at 5:30pm and the other worker is also scheduled to arrive via Singapore Airlines but on August 30.
“The embassy helped with the issuance of temporary travel documents to those without passports,” Kuong said, adding that the embassy had also provided them with food assistance while they were awaiting departure in Malaysia.
Kuong noted that in the first six months of this year, the embassy in Malaysia has assisted with the repatriation of a total of 332 workers, including 175 women, who wanted to return home.
In China, Kuong said the Consulate General in Chongqing municipality cooperated with the local authorities to rescue the 12 Cambodian women from traffickers on August 26. They are scheduled to arrive in Cambodia on September 2.
Kuong noted that in the first six months of this year, a total of 230 Cambodian women had been rescued in China from human traffickers and repatriated back home.
In a separate case in Thailand, Kuong said the Consulate General also helped repatriate 21 Cambodians from different places there on August 26.
They were sent back via the Poipet International Border Checkpoint in Banteay Meanchey province and have since been placed under quarantine.
Kuong could not confirm whether any of the 21 people returning from Thailand had been trafficked or simply sought to return home after losing their jobs as has been the case with thousands of migrant workers who have recently returned from Thailand amid the Covid-19 outbreak there.
