KAMPALA, Uganda — The Ugandan government has announced plans to repatriate up to 500 citizens stuck in Cambodia after falling victim to human trafficking syndicates that lured them abroad with false job offers, officials said.
The group is part of a wider cluster of African and Asian nationals who were trafficked to Southeast Asia and coerced into working in illegal online scamming compounds, authorities said.
Cambodian law enforcement recently raided and shut down several of these facilities, leaving many foreign workers stranded without valid visas or legal support.
Uganda’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Henry Oryem Okello, acknowledged the government’s efforts to secure the safe return of the stranded citizens, but stressed the limitations of intervention when formal labour agreements are absent.
“That is a group of Ugandans whom I have continuously warned. We rescued about 24 Ugandans a few months last year. We want Ugandans not to go to that region again; otherwise, they will be involved in a war which is not theirs. But these Ugandans don’t listen,” Mr Oryem said, urging jobseekers to be cautious.
He explained that many of those stranded ignored repeated government advisories against travelling to countries where Uganda has no bilateral labour agreements, complicating diplomatic efforts to assist them.
“We are again trying, through our embassy in Malaysia, to get them released from where they have been abducted. But again, I warn Ugandans: please stop going abroad to work unless we have a bilateral agreement with those countries,” Mr Oryem added.
Government officials noted that exact figures remain fluid, as more victims are identified. Initial counts suggested around 21 individuals, rising to more than 200, and now approximately 500 Ugandans are believed to be stranded across Cambodia.
The victims are reported to have been part of illegal online scamming operations, often recruited under the promise of legitimate jobs. According to authorities, traffickers would confiscate travel documents, leaving victims unable to move freely or return home.
“When these scamming compounds are rounded off, the victims are left on their own. Their travel documents are usually confiscated by the traffickers, so they cannot move freely or find their way to the airport,” said an official involved in the coordination effort.
Some of those affected have reportedly spent more than a year in Cambodia, accruing heavy penalties for illegal stay, losing employment and facing uncertain living conditions since their visas expired.
Officials revealed that many trafficked into Cambodia did not travel directly but were routed through countries such as China, Thailand and Malaysia, often without being informed of their final destination until arrival.
Uganda’s government said it is coordinating with diplomatic missions to secure travel documents and support for those affected, while also warning would‑be migrants to use only licensed recruitment agencies and travel to countries with official labour agreements to avoid similar situations.
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Ugandans working abroad have increasingly been at risk of exploitation, and civil society groups have called for stronger protections for migrant workers.
The Federation of All Uganda Migrant Workers has urged authorities to deploy legal teams at embassies to assist nationals facing abuse, detention or unpaid wages in overseas labour markets.
The Cambodian situation mirrors broader regional challenges of irregular migration and trafficking, where vulnerable jobseekers are promised employment but end up in coercive, illegal work environments.
Government warnings have repeatedly urged citizens to seek employment only in countries with formal labour export agreements.
