PHNOM PENH, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Forty-three Cambodian citizens, who were convicted of serious crimes in the United States, arrived in Cambodia on Thursday, an immigration police spokesman said.

"Forty-three Cambodians including three women arrived at the Phnom Penh International Airport this morning (April 5)," General Department of Immigration's deputy chief and spokesman Keo Vanthan told Xinhua.

He said the deportees were convicted criminals in the U.S., and they had already served their prison sentences before being expelled to Cambodia.

Cambodia and the U.S. signed a deportation agreement in 2002. Under the deal, Cambodians who are permanent residents of the U.S. will be deported to Cambodia if they are convicted of a felony.

So far, nearly 600 convicted criminals with Cambodian heritage have been deported from the U.S., many of them cannot even speak the Cambodian language.