AKP Phnom Penh, November 26, 2025 -- The Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training (MLVT) has completely rejected and strongly condemned a report published by Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Nov. 25, calling it false, unprofessional, and baseless, and accusing it of maliciously misleading, inciting, and slandering the Royal Government’s efforts to support Cambodian migrant workers returning home.

According to the MLVT’s statement issued this evening, since June 8, 2025, returning migrant workers have been warmly welcomed and given close attention through the establishment of a reception centre. The centre has provided free transport to their hometowns, assistance with carrying belongings, clean water and snacks, help with preparing identification documents, and support in negotiating repayment delays with microfinance institutions.

At the same time, the MLVT has worked with local authorities and relevant institutions to launch the campaign “Khmers Help Find Jobs and Provide Jobs to Khmers,” enabling mutual assistance in job registration through the 1297 hotline and Telegram. This mechanism allows all Cambodian citizens, including youth volunteers from the Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia, to assist returning migrant workers in registering for employment without the need to travel.

Additionally, job forums have been organised immediately in communes with large numbers of returning workers, with representatives from enterprises, companies, factories, and farms conducting direct interviews on-site. To date, a total of 577 such forums have taken place. Technical and vocational education and training programmes have also been provided for those wishing to build careers or establish work opportunities in their local communities.

As a result of these efforts, the ministry reported that more than 280,000 workers have secured employment through the system, and approximately 80,000 job opportunities are currently being offered.

By C. Nika