About 30 Cambodian workers illegally crossed back into the country yesterday after fleeing the Phatthana Seafood factory in Thailand, an NGO spokesman said.

Huy Pich Sovann, programme officer at the Cambodian Legal Education Centre, said the company had begun handing back passports to workers.

“But 30 people came back to Cambodia without passports. They did not have them from the beginning and went with illegal brokers,” he said.

“Yesterday, the union offered workers food . . . but they are still lacking food because the factory was closed over New Year,” he said.

Cambodian worker Sem Kosal said some workers went fishing “because they have no money”.

A spokesperson from CDM Trading Manpower, which sent many of the Cambodian workers to the factory, said the dispute was “not a big problem”.

Phatthana Seafood declined to comment, while Walmart, which sources from the factory, said its investigations were continuing.

To contact the reporters on this story: Sen David at [email protected]

Shane Worrell at [email protected]