Nearly 30 Nigerian nationals and one Filipino were arrested in Phnom Penh’s Por Sen Chey district yesterday after being found to be living in the Kingdom unlawfully.

Uk Hai Sela, head of investigations at the Ministry of Interior’s Immigration Department, said that immigration police, along with local law enforcement and court officials, picked up the people at the Borey New World development in Choam Chao commune.

He confirmed that the group consisted of 28 Nigerians, three women among them, and one Filipino.

“They lived and ran their businesses in Cambodia illegally without proper documents,” Hai Sela said.

“They did not have labour cards, and some of them had passports with [electronic tourist visas].

They were sent to the Immigration Police for questioning.”

He added that some of those arrested had been in the Kingdom for over five years, and that after being questioned at the Immigration Police station that their deportation would be finalised.

A Nigerian community leader in Cambodia said he has pressed his countrymen to comply with legal standards while living abroad.

“NIDO Cambodia has encouraged its members to possess valid documents,” said Austin Koledoye, president of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organization Cambodia.

Hai Sela said that from June of 2014 until present, the immigration police have arrested 2,942 foreigners living illegally in Cambodia, most of whom were Vietnamese nationals.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY CHARLES PARKINSON