(AseanAll) — The Ambassador of Indonesia to Cambodia, Dr. Santo Darmosumarto, met with the Deputy Director General of Immigration of the Ministry of Interior of Cambodia, Major General Lour Rabo on 4 September, 2025. The meeting discussed efforts to further strengthen cooperation in addressing consular and immigration issues faced by Indonesians living in Cambodia.
Santo expressed sincere appreciation to the Cambodian authorities, especially the General Department of Immigration (GDI), for its continued support in assisting Indonesian nationals facing these issues. Over the years, consular and immigration cases involving Indonesians have exponentially surged in line with the rapid growth of the Indonesian community in Cambodia.
Recognizing the complexity of consular and immigration cases, Santo thanked the Cambodian side for facilitating the deportation of Indonesian nationals. “The Embassy will amplify its advice to the Indonesian community to comply with the rules and regulations of the Cambodian Government,” the Ambassador highlighted. At the same time, the Embassy hopes that such deportation process could be carried out more swiftly, with the close cooperation between the Embassy and relevant Cambodian authorities.
Santo also welcomed the increased interactions among the immigration officials of both countries. He conveyed the Embassy’s commitment to implement the results of the Second Bilateral Immigration Meeting, which was conducted in Bali in May this year. He also added that “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.”
In 2024, more than 131,000 Indonesians were residing in Cambodia. That year, the Embassy recorded 3,310 consular cases involving Indonesian citizens. However, in just the first seven months of 2025, the number of cases has already reached 3,256—almost surpassing last year’s total. The Embassy is concerned that 83% of these cases are linked to online scam activities.
Following the Cambodian authorities’ recent efforts to tackle the scourge of online scams, hundreds of Indonesians were apprehended during raids to scam operations across the country. The Embassy is committed to working closely with the Cambodian authorities in following up with the deportation process of those apprehended during the raids.
