Job Scam Victims to Return from Saudi Arabia
Some of Cambodian workers in Saudi Arabia sought an intervention from the government. Photo: Cambodia Government Spokesperson Unit
- By Lay Sopheavotey
- and Meng Seavmey
- April 19, 2024 2:10 PM
PHNOM PENH – Seventy-eight Cambodians rescued from job scammers in Saudi Arabia are set to return home.
The operation began shortly after authorities received video of the workers asking for help from the government. The video was posted by a Facebook user named “Ry Single” on April 18.
Katta Orn, spokesperson for the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, said the ministry and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation worked with the embassy to Egypt in Cairo to tracked down their locations.
The Cambodian Embassy in Egypt, which covers Saudi Arabia, is in charge of plane tickets for the workers.
Orn said officials also received intervention requests from other sources because the workers were staying at different places.
All locations were tracked and all workers were found. Of these, 51 are staying at Jeddah city, 15 in the capital Riyadh and 12 in Dammam city.
About 29 of them were due to fly home on April 19 with 27 the next day and the others on April 21.
The ministry is also investigating the procedures of the company which sent the workers.
Officials will look at the job applications and whether they were legally processed, including the workers’ rights, guarantees and safety.
“We are also seeking the reason behind the detention,” he said, adding that the authority would then take action against the company in line with the law.
All the workers were waiting for their plane tickets after UK Sarun, Ambassador to Egypt, negotiated with Egyptian immigration officers to file documents and to arrange food and accommodation for the workers.
