Thousands of Chinese workers in Cambodia are finding it increasingly difficult and expensive to return amid fewer flights, high ticket prices, and strict quarantine requirements at the host and home countries, multiple people Sixth Tone spoke with said.
Four workers from state-owned construction corporations and manufacturing entrepreneurs stationed in the capital Phnom Penh told Sixth Tone that one-way airfares to the southwestern city of Chengdu have skyrocketed to 60,000 yuan ($9,380) for the coming weeks. This excludes additional costs amounting to thousands of yuan associated with the mandatory 14-day pre-quarantine in the departure city and at least another two weeks after arriving in China.
“We planned to visit home, but the fare is now above 60,000 yuan in the market,” an entrepreneur surnamed Shi said. “Besides, we need to pay for a quarantine hotel even before boarding.”
