FOREIGNERS who have overstayed in Cambodia have been advised to renew their passports through their embassies so that they can return to their home countries.
Cambodian Immigration spokesman General Keo Vannthan said all foreigners who have overstayed in Cambodia were considered illegals and could be caught by the authorities.
According to a Khmer Times report, in the event of arrest, their respective embassies will be notified and they will be deported.
"We have had many such cases of foreigners who overstayed here in the past and their respective embassies had helped to deport them," he said.
Since the pandemic struck and many countries closed their borders to stop the spread of infections, foreigners were unable to return home and resulted in overstaying.
Their visas were extended then but Cambodia has recently lifted its travel restrictions with many airlines resuming commercial passenger flights.
Gen Vannthan cited a case where a German man overstayed and they got in touch with the German Embassy to help issue a new passport and subsequently the man went back to Germany.
"If foreigners overstay, then they must face the consequences of the immigration law," he added.
Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Monday that there was a case of a homeless German national in Cambodia who sought his help claiming that the German Embassy was not helping him.
In a Facebook post, Hun Sen highlighted the case involving Martin Albert Schomacher, 55, who is sick and sleeps on the street.
Schomacher had criticised his embassy for allegedly not looking into his plight and repatriating back to Germany.
The Times report said that when Hun Sen highlighted the matter during his visit to Calmette Hospital on Monday, where Martin is admitted for treatment, a German Embassy staff visited Schomacher and gave him some gifts.
Phnom Penh Department of Social Affairs director Mom Chan Dany said the matter was brought to its attention and the German will be allowed to stay in the country until the Embassy makes arrangements to send him back.
"Foreigners who do not have a place to stay will be allowed to stay in our centre for a short while until their respective embassies resolve their issues and send them home," she said.
She added that their centre accommodates both locals and foreigners who are homeless and provides them with food.
The department's mobile team also works together with the Immigration to help those who overstayed by helping them get new travel documents so that they can leave the country.