World
Viral Notice Ordering African Nationals Out of Cambodia by May 31 Declared Fake by Cambodian Government
A document circulating widely across African social media platforms this week, purportedly issued by Cambodia's General Department of Immigration and ordering African nationals to leave the country by May 31, 2026 or face arrest, has been officially dismissed as false by the Cambodian government.
The Cambodian Ministry of Interior confirmed it had observed at least two news websites publishing information derived from the notice — which claimed African nationals from Ghana, Kenya, Cameroon, Uganda and others faced a two-year jail sentence and an $8,000 fine if found in Cambodia from June 1, 2026 — and stated clearly that the document was false and misleading. [PBS]
The notice spread rapidly across social media, causing alarm among African communities with connections to Southeast Asia. The document appeared to carry official signatures and stamps, including those of Lt. Gen. Som Sopheak, Director General of Immigration, and Gen. Sar Sokha, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Interior [The Washington Post] — lending it an appearance of legitimacy that accelerated its viral spread.
The directive referenced Cambodia's ongoing immigration crackdown, which has seen the country deport approximately 48,000 foreign nationals since the launch of a widespread operation targeting scam centre compounds in 2023, with a further 210,000 having voluntarily departed. [The Washington Post] That real-world context may have made the fabricated notice appear more credible to readers unfamiliar with the situation.
Readers across Ghana, Kenya, Cameroon and Uganda are advised to disregard the document entirely and verify immigration information only through official government channels.
