[ Human Trafficking, Country-by-Country ]

CAMBODIA (Tier 3) – Extracted in part from the U.S. State Dept 2023 TIP Report - Cambodia

The Government of Cambodia does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so, even considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, if any, on its anti-trafficking capacity; therefore Cambodia remained on Tier 3. Despite the lack of significant efforts, the government took some steps to address trafficking, including investigating, prosecuting, and convicting more traffickers, creating a special working group to investigate credible reports of large-scale cyber scam operations involving indicators forced labor, and identifying and providing services for more Cambodian trafficking victims. However, corruption and official complicity in trafficking crimes, including by high-level senior officials, remained widespread and endemic, resulted in selective and politically motivated enforcement of laws, and inhibited law enforcement action during the year. Authorities did not investigate or hold criminally accountable any officials involved in widespread, credible reports of complicity, in particular with unscrupulous business owners who subjected thousands of men, women, and children throughout the country to human trafficking in cyber scam operations, entertainment establishments, and brick kilns. Law enforcement did not effectively address forced labor in cyber scam operations. The government persistently failed to equitably screen or provide justice in trafficking crimes for foreign workers removed from cyber scam operations; it did not proactively screen them for human trafficking indicators. As a result, authorities did not provide or refer foreign potential victims of cyber scam operations to services, inappropriately penalized them for crimes committed as a direct result of being trafficked, including through holding these victims in indefinite detention until they paid bribes to police for release or their foreign embassy funded their deportation.

Prioritized Recommendations

Investigate and prosecute traffickers involved in forced labor crimes in cyber scam operations, including complicit officials.

Fully implement victim identification guidelines, apply them to both domestic and foreign suspected victims, and train officials in all areas of the country on their use.

Screen all individuals in immigrant detention or custody for human trafficking indicators, including foreign workers, men and boys, LGBTQI+ individuals, and persons with disabilities.

Investigate and prosecute trafficking crimes and seek adequate penalties for convicted traffickers, which should involve significant prison terms.

Increase funding to anti-trafficking law enforcement units and disburse it in advance of investigations, rather than by reimbursement.

Allocate increased resources to anti-human trafficking police to better facilitate the monitoring of defendants released under judicial supervision pending trial.

Increase or start unannounced labor inspections in high-vulnerability professions, especially in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and at brick kilns, entertainment venues, construction sites, and plantations, with a focus on identifying labor trafficking and debt bondage and holding business owners accountable to the law.

Increase the availability of services for male victims, especially men and boys exploited in commercial fishing abroad.

Incentivize domestic and foreign victims’ participation in criminal and civil proceedings, including by establishing a victim’s fund and granting permission to work, temporary residency, or other relevant immigration status to foreign victims wishing to remain in country during proceedings.

Implement a system for monitoring, collecting, and reporting data on anti-trafficking prosecution and victim protection efforts, and disseminate data among the relevant government agencies in a manner that protects victims’ identities and privacy.

Eliminate recruitment or placement fees charged to workers by Cambodian labor recruiters and ensure they are instead paid by employers.

Increase inspection and oversight of lending institutions, including private micro-finance organizations, to reduce vulnerability to debt-based coercion among economically disadvantaged communities.

Allow restitution upon conviction of the trafficker and establish and train relevant officials on procedures for calculating and granting restitution.

Establish and allocate resources to implement systematic procedures at diplomatic missions to assist Cambodian victims abroad, including in countries without Cambodian diplomatic representation.

Amend regulations on labor recruitment licensure and contract requirements to include strengthened language on worker protections and labor rights.

Strengthen efforts to inspect private labor recruitment agencies and their sub-licensed brokers for fraudulent recruitment and other trafficking indicators.

Incorporate NGO input into the policy for formally transferring custody of child victims.