MONROVIA – More than 40 Liberian nationals stranded in Cambodia, including over 15 currently being held in immigration detention, are urgently appealing to the Government of Liberia to facilitate their return home after what they describe as a devastating experience linked to a failed overseas employment scheme.
In a petition addressed to Liberian authorities, the affected citizens said they left Liberia after being offered jobs in Vietnam by a Chinese-operated company. However, they claim the promised employment opportunity turned into a nightmare shortly after their arrival in Asia.
According to the group, their personal belongings, including mobile phones, passports, and luggage, were confiscated upon reaching Vietnam. They allege that they were subsequently transported across the border into Cambodia without their consent.
The stranded Liberians said they later discovered that the jobs they had been promised did not exist and that they were subjected to conditions and activities far different from what had been presented to them before departure.
They reportedly remained in Cambodia for more than a year before Cambodian law enforcement authorities raided the operation and liberated those involved.
While the intervention by local authorities ended their immediate ordeal, many of the Liberians say they now face another crisis: survival. Without financial resources, legal documents, or access to basic necessities, they have been unable to return home.
The group said they are currently struggling to secure food, shelter, healthcare, and other essential services. Many have exhausted whatever support was available to them and are living in increasingly desperate conditions.
“We have no means to support ourselves,” the group said in its appeal. “Without assistance, we cannot regularize our immigration status or purchase tickets to return to Liberia.”
The Liberians disclosed that they reached out to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in search of help but were reportedly advised that assistance would need to come through Liberian government channels.
They expressed concern that while citizens of other countries rescued under similar circumstances have reportedly received support from their governments and returned home, Liberians remain stranded.
The situation is particularly dire for more than 15 Liberians currently being detained by Cambodian immigration authorities because of expired or irregular immigration documents.
Advocates speaking on behalf of the detainees other media entities, say conditions inside the detention facility are becoming increasingly difficult. They report shortages of food, limited access to medical treatment, and growing emotional and psychological stress among those being held.
Some detainees are reportedly suffering from illnesses but are unable to obtain the medication and healthcare they require.
According to information provided by the group, Cambodian authorities are prepared to release and repatriate the detainees once arrangements are made for their transportation back to Liberia. However, the cost of airline tickets remains a major obstacle.
The situation has drawn further attention following the circulation of a viral immigration notice on social media claiming that all African nationals, including citizens of Ghana, Kenya, Cameroon, Uganda and other African countries, would be required to leave Cambodia by May 31, 2026, or face arrest, imprisonment and substantial fines. The notice sparked concern among hundreds of Africans residing in the Southeast Asian nation, including members of Liberia’s stranded community.
However, Cambodian authorities have since disowned the document, describing it as fraudulent. Speaking to Xinhua News Agency on May 29, Ministry of Interior spokesperson Touch Sokhak said the purported directive was “fake news fabricated to distort the situation and mislead domestic and international audiences.” He stressed that the Cambodian government had issued no order directing Africans to leave the country and had announced no new immigration penalties or enforcement measures.
The controversial notice, which was widely shared across social media platforms and reportedly cited by some foreign media outlets, was attributed to Cambodia’s General Department of Immigration. Cambodian officials, however, maintain that the document is not authentic and was never issued by any government institution.
In response to the growing confusion, the General Department of Immigration released an official clarification in Khmer, reaffirming that the notice was fake and urging the public to refrain from spreading unverified information capable of creating panic or damaging the institution’s reputation.
While the clarification has eased fears among some African nationals living in Cambodia, it has done little to resolve the challenges confronting stranded Liberians, many of whom remain without legal status, employment, or the means to return home.
Supporters of the stranded Liberians are therefore calling on the Liberian government, humanitarian agencies, faith-based organizations, and compassionate individuals to assist in raising the resources needed to bring the citizens home.
The stranded nationals say their greatest hope is to be reunited with their families after months of uncertainty and hardship.
“We are pleading with our government to remember us,” the appeal stated. “Our only wish is to return home safely and rebuild our lives.”
As of the latest reports, Liberian authorities have not publicly commented on the matter.
For the affected citizens, however, hope remains alive that their appeal will reach the appropriate authorities and result in swift action before conditions deteriorate further.
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