elef Posted July 25, 2004 Report Share Posted July 25, 2004 Migrant Workers: Migrants to be deported Published on Jul 24, 2004 Immigrant workers must register by 31st or face expulsionn All illegal migrant workers from Burma, Cambodia and Laos who have not registered with the government by Saturday?s deadline will be deported, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said yesterday. ?After July 31 illegal workers will be arrested and deported to their countries in any circumstances,? the prime minister said in his weekly radio address. He called on local officials to try to get as many illegal workers in their areas as possible to register. The government launched the registration of illegal workers from the three countries on July 1, aiming for a longterm solution to the massive influx of foreign workers. About 1.2 million are expected to register with the Labour Ministry. Thailand has long been a prime destination for migrants from neighbouring countries who flee their homelands for fear of political persecution or in search of better economic prospects. Their lack of legal status has made them subject to exploitation. One example is that of Burmese workers in a Taiwaneseowned company in Tak province?s Mae Sot district, who were fired in 2002 after demanding that their employer pay them the minimum daily wage of Bt133 in accordance with Thai law. Thaksin said 766,643 illegal workers had registered so far, of whom 550,000 were Burmese, 115,000 Laotian and 97,000 Cambodian. He said that unscrupulous agents who had offered to register illegal workers for a smaller fee than that set by the government would face legal action for deception. Migrant workers who register with the government have to pay a Bt3,800 fee for a medical checkup, medical insurance and a work permit. Traffickers of migrant workers into Thailand will face up to 10 years in jail, a Bt100,000 fine or both, and their wealth may be confiscated by the AntiMoney Laundering Office, Interior Minister Wan Muhamad Noor Matha told officials at a meeting in Chiang Mai?s City Hall yesterday. He said the prime minister had agreed to offer rewards for tipoffs that led to the arrest of human traffickers and illegal workers after the registration period. Officials will carry out searches of workplaces and households suspected of hiring illegal workers from August 1, Wan Noor said. ?The employers of illegal workers and the workers themselves will face severe penalties as this problem has an impact on national security,? he said. Rungrawee C Pinyorat, Khwandao Jitpana The Nation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elef Posted August 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2004 Time has run out: Published on Aug 1, 2004 More than 800,000 Burmese registered their presence as foreign workers in Thailand as the deadline expired yesterday for those working illegally here to report themselves to authorities. Altogether, about 1.2 million illegal foreign workers showed up, with the Burmese accounting for 70 per cent of the total, according to the Department of Employment. The registration would give the legal status as well as some state benefits such as healthcare to foreign labour. The nationwide registration campaign kicked off July 1, offering a temporary amnesty to illegal workers from Burma, Laos and Cambodia. According to the registration statistics, there are more than 1.2 million people from the three countries in Thailand, including more than 660,000 males and almost 550,000 females. The majority of those registering are Burmese in origin, more than 850,000 people making up 70.4 per cent of the total number. Foreign workers from Laos ranked second highest with more than 180,000 people in the country. Employers of foreign labourers also must register under the government rule. Police spokesman Maj-General Pongsapat Pongcharoen said the government had given employers, foreign labourers and their families and householders providing accommodation for illegal workers the chance to register and comply with the law. He added that it was an opportunity for foreigners to work legally in Thailand. After registering, foreigners were required to pay Bt600 for a medical fee and Bt1,300 for medical insurance. If they intended to work in the country, they also had to pay Bt1,900 for a work permit. Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has said that he will not extend the registration deadline. As of today, police will enforce stricter rules in arresting unregistered foreign workers and preventing them from continuing to work in the country. ?Illegal foreign workers will be jailed for three months and/or fined up to Bt5, 000. The employers will be jailed for no more than three years and/or fined up to Bt60, 000,? Pongsapat said. The provinces with the highest numbers of registered foreign workers are Bangkok, Tak, Samut Sakhon, Chiang Mai and Ranong provinces in that order. In Bangkok the registrants are concentrated in the areas of Bang Bon, Bang Khae, Chom Thong, Prawet and Chatuchak. The Ministry of Labour conducted the first registration of foreign workers three years ago. In 2001 the number of registered foreigners was about 580, 000 but declined to about 400, 000 in 2002 and only 200,000 in 2003. ?This year we saw an increased number of registered aliens because we also allowed their wives and children to register. It's a different situation from three years ago,? said Chuthatawat Intharasuksri, director-general of the Department of Employment. ?The number was predictable this year,? he added. This year?s registration differs from the previous efforts because there are more government agencies such as the Labour, Interior and Public Health ministries cooperating in the effort. Chuthatawat said that foreign workers could solve the problem of a shortage of manual and household labourers. However, the registration campaign also is intended to help prevent criminal cases in the immigrant community, threats to national security and the spread of contagious diseases. The Nation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mentors Posted August 5, 2004 Report Share Posted August 5, 2004 All illegal migrant workers from Burma, Cambodia and Laos who have not registered with the government by Saturday’s deadline will be deported, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said yesterday. “After July 31 illegal workers will be arrested and deported to their countries in any circumstances,” the prime minister said in his weekly radio address. --------------- This, i want to see! In the South where my GTG has plantations, there are hundreds (thousands?) of illegal workers from Myanmar. I'm quite shure i will see all again, when i arrive there in December. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pescator Posted August 5, 2004 Report Share Posted August 5, 2004 This, i want to see! In the South where my GTG has plantations, there are hundreds (thousands?) of illegal workers from Myanmar So you know this for a fact? Or are you just assuming this is so? It is not like they are carrying a badge. They may well have registered within the given deadline. Although I would also be surprised to learn if all had done so. Cheers Hua Nguu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mentors Posted August 7, 2004 Report Share Posted August 7, 2004 Hua Nguu said: This, i want to see! In the South where my GTG has plantations, there are hundreds (thousands?) of illegal workers from Myanmar So you know this for a fact? Or are you just assuming this is so? It is not like they are carrying a badge. They may well have registered within the given deadline. Although I would also be surprised to learn if all had done so. Cheers Hua Nguu Yes, i know this exactly, most are not registered. My GF family and some neighbours has also some illegal workers who do hard jobs in the large plantations. The green border is just about 20 km away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mentors Posted August 8, 2004 Report Share Posted August 8, 2004 Mentors said: Hua Nguu said: This, i want to see! In the South where my GTG has plantations, there are hundreds (thousands?) of illegal workers from Myanmar So you know this for a fact? Or are you just assuming this is so? It is not like they are carrying a badge. They may well have registered within the given deadline. Although I would also be surprised to learn if all had done so. Cheers Hua Nguu Yes, i know this exactly, most are not registered. Last year, my GF has some workers from Myanmar who worked illegal, (now we have some workers from Isarn). A lot of farmers around still has illegal workers from Myanmar who do hard jobs in the plantations. The green border is not so far away. But Tycoon Thaksin is far far away and the South (again) will not vote for him next January :: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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