Foreigners ‘blacklisted’ over crimes

Immigration authorities have placed more than 3,000 foreign criminals accused of causing “turmoil and insecurity” in the Kingdom on a “blacklist”, and will monitor their activities, it was announced yesterday.

At a meeting to promote security for investors and foreign tourists, Sok Phal, director general of immigration at the Ministry of Interior, said the list included people inside and outside of the country, and would help authorities take legal action if the known troublemakers broke the law.

He said some of the blacklisted group had clashed with Cambodians while others had been involved in foreigner-on-foreigner offences, a likely reference to violence in Sihanoukville involving Russian “gangsters”.

“Based on experience, most of the cases occurred in [Preah Sihanouk], Siem Reap and Phnom Penh in which some of them are . . . business disputes from abroad. Some companies caused injuries and road accidents,” he said.

Phal said a recent probe in Preah Sihanouk province found only 30 per cent of 2,000 foreigners there had an E-visa and work permit.