Final Departure and Returning Home

I'm Iirasco, and you're listening to the Sunday Story from Up firstirst This is the second of our two part series with investigative reporter Shibani Matani A story about the people who were lured into working in the global cybber scam industry Now if you haven't heard part one, you can go back and listen to that now in the feed. You'll definitely want the start of this story At the end of part one, Schwbe walked out through the gates of a scam compound after working for almost a year as a scammer. Right now we just want to go back home home to Uganda Instead, he would wind up on the streets of Penam Pen Tens of thousands of others who've been released in government raids on scam compounds across the country Schweib needed emergency shelter, food, and legal support But instead of aid, there would be obstacles almost impossible to overcome Amnesty International is calling the current situation in Cambodia a humanitarian crisis and says migrants are falling through the cracks Shibani Matani continue Schweib's story So after Scheib walked out of the scam compound, he felt optimistic His plan was pretty simple Go to the airport and get on a plane just like when he arrived. minus thexis Part of the reason Schpe was confident was because he had almost completed his year long contract Before he left the compound, he talked to his boss. I told the boss, My work is over, but I need to go back home. Schweib was worried about one thing in particular He knew he'd come in on a tourist visa and had overstay it by eleven months Schwab's boss wouldn't buy his return ticket back to Uganda, but he told him he'd deal with the complications from the overstayed visa. He'd clear the fines and he'd handle the paperwork So with that understanding, Schweib bought a plane tet ick one. It cost him one thousandteen hundred dollars. O three hundred Swbe didn't have a lot of money to spend He told me he had about three thousand six hundred dollars or so in his bank account when he left the compound This was the entirety of his savings both from his previous job in Kampala and the little he was paid in Cambodia. But tribe had never bought a plane ticket before and he booked it so quickly that he misread the departure time and he missed his flight So at the airport he booked another flight He texted his boss to confirm everything was still good to go No reply So Schwbe decided to give it a few days He cancellled the ticket and he went back to the city center to wait for the go ahead I've been in Cambodia for almost a year But he'd only seen the inside of industrial buildings and garish casinos converted into scam compounds He'd been looking at screens twelve hours a day. He'd seen nothing of the country at all. Suddenly, he was in a big city and had time to kill. So he started exploring He walked the streets of Ponompen and let himself spend some of his savings. To go everywhere, to go in some malls, in some parks, to visit some places, just temples. I used to go there because I used to stay near the river He moved from hotel to hotel, sharing rooms with a few of the other Ugandans who'd gotten out with him He told me about one of the places he liked the most. It's called the Ral Palace. The Royal Palace, constructed for the King of Cambodia in eighteen sixty five. It's a sprawling, opulent compound with a silver pacoda There's park, there elephants, there a lot of incredible things there. evenven that side of the river. there's a place called Night Market In the morning, it is a normal press, but at night is a party press. they festivals all night all longone Even as he wandered around, as though he were a tourist He couldn't stop thinking about getting home A few days later, Scheib's former boss got back to him. the airport. He told him to go ahead and purchase a ticket for february tenth, exactly a year to the day that Schweb had arrived in Cambodia. So should I book a ticket for february tenth his third plane ticket. It was my last My My last money. So what happened when you got to the airport? After taking our bugs Th then we went to the immigration. Because after the check in, you have to go to the migration. After arriving there, ask where are your passports They scanned his passport and it was immediately flagged for overstay Shre I' called his boss call wouldn't go through He'd been blocked Immigration officials told Twbe he couldn't leave without paying his overstay fine It was ten dollars a day from the moment his visa expired eleven months ago. around three thousand five hundred dollars in total L do I like. You ate a pee or you go back In with today Th they gave us our passports. You to us that you go back You will find your bugs. I would say H the story over and over again Migrants tell me these huge overstay fines are the biggest obstacle preventing them from leaving Cambodia Aid workers and human rights organizations, including Amnesty International have criticized the Cambodian government for conducting business as usual. They've called on the Cambodian government to waive the fines They say people who have been abused, exploited even trafficked are now being exploited again The Cambodian government is working with other governments to clear workers of the overstay fines about on a case by case basis It is excruciatingly slow. When I asked the Cambodian goovernment's information minister, Net Pkra, to explain why, he told me the priority is shutting down these compounds. That has to be done first. He acknowledged, though that, many of these migrants are victims of trafficking and can't afford to go home. and he called on their embassies to assist So at the airport, Schwbe's fine was due on the spot He couldn't leave without pain Schweb said there was no empathy from the immigration official W she like apologetic? like did she feel bad or No. Uword Yeah. Yeah, she was also rude Do you feel like they just don't understand like what you guys have been through? They just see you as like people who haveve done bad things or something. They don't understand the situation. Those from the imigration, they're like the normal local people here F Mo , we came here willingly and we've been in overseas intationally. Schei was exhausted. He begged the immigration official to just deport him She wouldn't help and directed him to another official. You I told us no, there's nothing I can do for you, but you can go to a temple, When you go to the temple, you can't sleep there. Yeah. Shui was now broke. He'd been calling his brother who lived in Saudi Arabia for some help with money. And he joined the waitlist for the only shelter for migrants like him But it was full and the waitlist was long. So Schweib went to the temple It's called Basat That's the name they use for like the tempo. Then we try to start them up That's when we saw there lot of proasat Then we saw one near the immigration offices They seekt just go here. In sometimes chaotic Penom Pen, where the rise of the middle class has left so many urban poor behind, temples have long been a refuge Each neighborhood has one, these spartan and ofered small complexes They're nothing like the grandeur of the great temples in Bangkok with oversized gold Buddhas and manicured grounds But their doors are always open to the homeless, to the elderly and rural schoolchildren studying in the city with now wayere to go The grounds are managed by young monks in orange robes and shaved heads There's no running water. It's not much more than a safe place to rest for the night amid crumbling statues and the occasional sounds of chanting. How you find a lot of people who just came there to watch to wors you We are is peaceful. We sleay there for life for a three days. We had nowhere to go This was a real low point for Schwipe he felt invisible There was no one and nowhere to turn to for help He wanted to at least find a proper room There were guest houses in the city. They were the cheapest option Often just rooms over modest family homes or shops But again and again he was turned away That's because the Cambodian government had created yet another obstacle It had announced that landlords who housed foreigners without the right visas be themselves liable for fines or criminal charges Locals were afraid And Schwei was clearly a foreigner Suai reached out to Ugandan officials. They told him they were working on the overstay fines, but There wasn't much else they could do He tried the UN's migration agency, the IOM They couldn't help much either So Schwib started to think outside of the official channels Maybe he could just get arrested. This that you can C you freeise face to sleep and free food And ultimately, maybe that would lead to his deportation He went to the Cambodian immmigration Department several days in a row trying to convince them to deport him. but officials told him again until he paid the fines, they couldn't let him go Every day he stayed in Cambodia He was spending money. He started skibbing meals. His stomach ulcers were bothering him again Th then one day Schreib met Mcdura. My name is Madara. I'm a freelance jalise. Dara. I've mentioned him before He's my journalist friend who drives a Tok Tok and has been helping me connect with stranded migrants in Penom Pen T Dara was also at the immigration office looking for groups of migrants to talk to working on this story and what is your situation? He went up to Sribes group And he bought them lunch You're listening to the Sunday's story, we'll be right back This message comes from XL, providing an online learning environment intended to keep students skills sharp over summer vacation. The platform covers core subjects and adapts to each child's pace. Receive twenty percent off at xl dot com slash npR. This message comes from Better Help Summer can feel like a sprint, kids home, trips to plan, routines flipped upside down. It's easy to slip into survival mode, just trying to get through it. Then suddenly, it's over And you're wishing you enjoyed the days just a little bit more therapy can help you slow down and actually be present for the moments that matter. With better helpel, you can connect with a licensed therapist from anywhere on your schedule. Don't just survive the summer To Thrive, visit betterhelp d. com slash and PR This message comes from Capital onene with the Venture X card Unlimited double miles, a three hundred dollars annual Capital One travel credit and access to airport lounges. Capital O. What's in your wallet? Terms apply. details at capital onene d. comot Few people know Cambodia and its gam industry like Mcdora B when I first started reading about it all in twenty twenty one Dara's byline was everywhere And he really became the guy that foreign media would work with when reporting on the scam industry Dara has a really unique approach. He sees things structurally. For him, it was never enough to interview someone who escaped a scam compound and just ask about their experience He wouldn't stop there He always wanted to take a step further and ask Do you know who you worked for Who are the bosses? they report to and Who owned the property? But these are dangerous questions in Cambodia because they trace back to some of the most powerful people in the country Cambodia is a single party state Political power is sustained by a class of tycoons who have a close relationship with the ruling Hunun family Independent reporting from outlets like the New York Times show that these tycoons have directly profited from the scam industry Even the Prime Mister's cousin had a stake in a scam linked entity In twenty twenty three, the Cambodian government ramped up its repression against non governmental organizations and others who were vocal about the scam industry, including what was left of the country's independent media. The government forced Araz news outlet, the voice of democracy to shut down Journalists started dropping out of covering the scam industry But there are kept reporting. I think for him, it was like a mission or calling Darard I met in twenty twenty four when I reported in Cambodia But about two weeks after that trip, I was on vacation in Thailand when my phone started blowing up which just a ton of messages from people in Cambodia. Singara had been arrested Ostensibly, Dara was arrested for a social media post that was critical of the Cambodian government The government eventually charged him with inciting social disorder And they released a statement saying this case was not related to Dara's journalism But many of us who knew the forces at play here believe the government was punishing Darah for his reporting He would end up being held in jail for a month When I was back in Penon Pen this much It was the first time actually that I hadd spoken to him at length about what had happened to him. He said a lot of military police. I think it was three or four car. Dara had been briefly detained in the past, but He had no idea this time the charges were so serious. They couldn't believe that They sent me to the prison He was transported by military police. prison He remembered that first day in his cell They gave him some kind of soup and rice, but No utensils. And I don't have a spoon to eat the food. And so he had to eat it with the palm of his hand. I had to use my hand to eat rice and pick up soup, you know, is this real, you know like I start to feeling it is it is really, really horrible situation inside there, yes He still looked very shaken counting that to me. Technically, the case against ERa hasn't been fully dropped It's still hanging there sort of like an anvil over his head And I think he's really aware of it When he was let out of jail He told people that broken his spir He just didn't want to be a journalist anymore So for a while do I leave Lo and his byelines basically disappeared il Cambodia bowing to international pressure began its crackdown on the scam industry. And you know, I think this is created an opening for him to continue his reporting Be at least for the moment Cambodia is admitting that they have a big scam problem And Darasses with such immense need in front of him You just can't look away It it is yes, it is really speechless to case this sh situation I would say that I think there are this particular moment In Cambodia, he's definitely to our western eyes crossed a bit. into volunteer or an activist rather than just a journalist After they met, Dara became a lifeline for Schweip. It started with the little things He drove him around with his Tk dook for free in the city helped him print out his documents And when Tpe ran out of cash Dara was there Brother I don't have anything to eat Iday, I see him in location. said okay tomorrow I'm going to come here to bring free food L in the morning you call you. you you come downstairs I here Dara was on call. He just offers the best you can. Dara has done a big thing for us Schweib and thousands of others like him are facing this immense need for support at possibly one of the worst times for global aid In Camodia, there's pretty much only one shelter that's open to victims of human trafficking That shelter was funded by the U. S. Agency for International Development, USAID. until the Trump administration shut down the agency in July of twenty twenty five The shelter then had to lay off staff and scale back operations It's now partially funded by the IOM the UN Agency for Migrants It can only accommodate one hundred and twenty people This is the shelter that Schwib was on the waitlist for The shelter has had to turn away hundreds of people per week since January of this year Outside of the shelter, some countries like Indonesia have taken steps to deal with their own citizens The Indonesian government rented a warehouse in Penom Pen and told people they could go there and get food and some medical support But when I visited this warehouse in March, it was overcrowded Dirty The place reeked of cigarettes. So many Indonesians have just preferred to stay outside on the street close to embass found another group of people sleeping here and making their bed for the night on makeshift blankets and pivbows. yeah, it's a really sort of overwhelming sight actually Are you waiting for the money to go home? No money The Cambodian authorities have also detained many scam workers for visa violations. Aid workers in contact with migrants inside say these detention facilities are shot on basic supplies like food and water And authorities haven't differentiated between criminals and victims So now Bosses and workers are being held in the same space A video circulating on social media earlier this year showed them brawling over food If you only looked at what the Cambodian government and police are posting, you'd think the crackdown is going really well Wh is that? Okay . There are dramatic videos of the raids, of deportations, of groups of people Pope walked through the airport. But there's been no international large scale response to the dire situation of these migrants Not from embassies, not from a groups UN agencies have a mandate to help, but over the last six months, they haven't stepped up in any sort of systematic way That piecemeal support hasn't met the overwhelming need Reports have come out showing that people on the streets are now being rereruited into the scam industry All of this has made Dara extremely angry People question me why I'm coming back? Because the people who supposed to do the, they fail to do the other I would not come to clean their ass if they do their work properly. you know, like we have seen NGO, we have seen other journalists, we have seen Nbazi, we have seen many people. They just like they don't care And so I think with every call he gets from someone With every message he gets for help takes it so personally And he feels it so deeply It is hat to walk away, people asking for you to help and then like shouting, you hear it and then you say no, I'm not hearing it. and then you keep walking too me, I'm not that kind of person when I See when I heard the people shouting for help at least I can have You know, what Dara has really been doing is holding this kind of one man fundraiser He's been hitting up contexts from his years of reporting and his job as a researcher and in this very informal way has been asking them for money and then buying basic things like bread, milk, vegetables for the people who are still stranded in Cambodia I cannot help them to reach their goal to make sure that they are not hungry. They could have tonight could be They can sleep in the guath house. so they feel better. So that is a what I have been trying to do Dara and Shribes bond with each other really struck me when I spent time with them Anytime we were driving around on the Tk Tok Even talking about some pretty dark and heavy things. There was always a lot of laughter, a lot of jokes. After all he'd been through, it seemed like Schweib was amazed that someone like Dara even existed Someone who cared for strangers instead of taking from them Even at grave personal risk. Star out, do the police still give you your problems? I still have to show up by the police. the police. Yeah see the police every mon the same thing that made you to go to g the same thing that you will still do. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Absolutely.. Theara is brave, but it's also a little crazy. I supposed to at the same too. If you're listening to the Sunday story, stay with us This message comes from IXL. IXL is designed to help students strengthen core skills and build confidence before the new school year begins. The adaptive platform provides personalized learning for pre K through twelfth grade and is used in ninety six of the top one hundred school districts in the United States. One hour of tutoring can cost more than an entire month of IXL Receive an exclusive twenty percent discount on an XL membership at xL d. com slash npR This message comes from Rince, who knows that greatness takes time So does laundry. So Rinince will take your laundry and hand deliver it to your door expertly cleaned. And you can take the time pursuing your passions. Time once spent sorting and waiting, folding and queuing, now spent challenging and innovating and pushing your way to greatness. So pick up that Irish flute or those calligraphy pens, or the daunting beef Wellington recipe card and leave the laundry to rinse. Rinse, it's time to be great After a long hunt Scheib finally found a guest house And for weeks, he spent much of his time there languishing indoors. It was in this really industrial part of Penom Pen So it was always noisy outside His room was up and narrow metal sties He had a reasonable landlord who lived with a family downstairs It wasn't much There was just one quan bed and a small pilet There was AC and some sliver floor space for him to set up a portable stove and cook some of his own meals The room was ten dollars a day And he split the cost with his roommate, Ugandan man called Oscar, who is also in one of the same scam compounds as him Schw' spent a lot of time on his phone. Srolling playaying Call of Duty Wing YouTube as they waited the Ugandan ambassador was making progress on negotiations in the first week of March Swip heard, he was on a list of Ugandans whose fines had been waived. He could now go home If He could come up with a cash for a flight. watched ticket prices rise in the wake of the U. S. attacks on Iran. The cheapest flights went through the Middle East a route that was no longer available So He called home. After this year of being abroad, he had nothing to offer his family Instead, he needed their help. He needed them to sell his things. I needed quick money. never going to be enough all he had left was his motorbike back in Komampala and his cow brown and white cow that he's had since twenty twenty one. Yeah a good grown cow And the hil this one. and theirir place Neuran With the money from the sales, he finally bought his ticket in midmarch. Six weeks after leaving the scam center his fourth ticket. A week before he was due to fly Schweb heard that the shelter he was in line for had space for him. He gathered his stuff and moved again He hoped it would be for the last time. Dar and I met Scheib in the morning of march twenty fourth He was in the same clothes he was wearing when I first met him at Lucky Bgas the acid washed jeans and faded t shirt and the same hat This time when he saw us, he was beaming We spent a few hours that day together He tried to put a positive spin on things. How did you feel last n knowing today' like your last day in Cambodia J I was happy that I'm going right now through it how it is going to end He spoke a lot about his dreams My ros My dreams never changed just they were delate I'm not chasing for the big thing. I'm just chasing for maybe survival left him for a few hours and returned to this chaotic scene of Scheib. Shirtless and sweaty stuffing his belongings into a hardcase. It was only three in the afternoon and his flight wasn't until after ten at night, but he was running late Be this wasn't going to be a normal airport experience. You me a call?. All this stuff is stuff you brought from home or is it No, I just don't about. Schweib continued stuffing things into his suitcase smallm gifts for his sisters, some clothes, H Kurim He needed Daro to use brute force to hold the suitcase together before he could zip it Stara helped him maneuver the suitcase down the narrow set of metiddal stairs As we drove to the airport, he was visibly nervous. He tried to keep things light, joking with Dora that if this failed again, he would just give up. He'd find a Cambodian woman to marry and find a way to stay We got to the airport around four in the afternoon It's a beautiful modern new structure, which only opened last September. It has these dramatic golden arches and a giant buddha right in the middle Schweib strapped a neck pillow around his neck, rolled his bags into the entrance but he hesitated for a bit He stopped and took a selfie, smiling. He ped for about five minutes, taking various selfies. Once in a lifetime. He'd also dressed up He'd put on this nice pleather jacket and had sprayed some cum When I asked him why he told me to look around So many of the other Ugandans were dressed really well Some even with new shoes and clothes They wanted to project success They wanted to go home and tell people that they'd actually done well, even if that was far from the truth In that moment, they actually looked like tourists For six hours, Shbe and the rest of the group just stood waiting as immigration officials processed their documentation in a separate area of the airport When I looked around, I saw other groups too. a big group from Nepal, another from China Schwi would get tired and sit on the baggage trolley, listening to music through his oversized headphones. They would knock off Apple Airport Maxes. As they waited and the sun began to set Groups of Cambodian villagers started streaming into the airport's departure hall Some were definitely there to say byye to travelers, but so many others were just there to hang out. Kids were really enjoying running around the smooth floors, screaming like this was an indoor playground. o them, this new airport was a symbol of modern Cambodia newew clean air condition But should I We didn't want to spend a minute longer there. When officials told him it was time to check in jumped up from the baggage trolley It was time The bankerways attendant took his passport, printed off a boarding pass, and loaded his bags Schei was still cautious We walked together to the immigration checkpoint where he was turned away the last time. Take B Yeah, yeah. The officer scanned his passport. The gates opened And he was through He just turned around and waved goodbye at us. And he appears to be clearing security and going through immigration. so I think he's U homeome free. finally. Finally Yeah It wasn't quite the end When I was in my taxi on the way back to my hotel So why I' s me a video He was in the waiting area Ething had been stamped and so he was good to go But among the stamp officials put in his passport was the deportation stamp