A senior figure from Cambodia’s dissolved opposition party has accused the government of favouring Vietnamese nationals over its own people. Um Sam An, a former lawmaker from the Cambodia National Rescue Party, claims the ruling government under the Hun family has granted more protection and rights to ethnic Vietnamese than to ethnic Khmer citizens.
In a post published on his personal Facebook page, Um Sam An pointed to government data showing that by 2019, nearly 90,000 Vietnamese immigrants, both documented and undocumented, had received permanent residency in Cambodia. He argued that while ethnic Khmer citizens now face the risk of losing their birthright citizenship, Vietnamese nationals are being increasingly integrated and protected under Cambodian law.
Um Sam An noted that once these Vietnamese residents receive legal permanent residency, they become eligible to apply for Cambodian citizenship after seven years, as outlined in the country’s naturalisation law.
He warned that the group of nearly 90,000 Vietnamese could, in the future, hold key leadership roles in Cambodian society, including village chiefs, commune council members, district and provincial governors, ministers, military officers and police chiefs. He also suggested they would be eligible to vote in the upcoming commune elections in 2027 and the national election in 2028.
A letter issued by the Ministry of Interior on July 10, 2020 and recently made public confirms that more than 89,000 foreign nationals across Cambodia have applied for permanent residency. According to the letter, these applicants represent nearly 29,000 households across 11 nationalities, with Vietnamese nationals accounting for 89,471 individuals, including over 42,000 women.
The Ministry of Interior stated that the permanent residency cards are issued for two years at a time, allowing foreign residents to remain in the country legally and access public services. These include administrative procedures, healthcare, banking, real estate transactions, and business activities.
Separately, on July 8, 2025, the General Department of Identification issued a clarification, stating that since 1999, Cambodia has granted Khmer citizenship to just over 5,000 foreign nationals in total. Officials noted that this figure remains relatively low compared to naturalisation rates in other countries in the region.
The debate over naturalisation and citizenship comes amid heightened political sensitivity around immigration, national identity and voting rights. While government officials maintain that all processes follow legal norms, critics continue to raise concerns over transparency and national priorities.
