Thailand Detains and Deports Illegal Migrant Workers

Written by Ron Corben

Sunday, 11 July 2010 10:22 - Last Updated Monday, 12 July 2010 10:35

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Download   Thailand is stepping up efforts to detain and deport illegal migrant workers,
mainly from Burma.

Under new regulations that came into force in February is year all migrant workers had to
have a passport and then register with the government to gain a work permit.

Almost 900,000 have complied or started the process, but 300,000 failed to renew work
permits and submit national verification requests for passports while another one million
remain outside the process altogether.

As Ron Corben in Bangkok reports the policy has created fear amongst migrant workers.

At the drop in centre in central Bangkok, Burmese migrant workers attend classes and
exchange news from home and see friends.

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Thailand Detains and Deports Illegal Migrant Workers

Written by Ron Corben

Sunday, 11 July 2010 10:22 - Last Updated Monday, 12 July 2010 10:35

Uncertainties grip the community here.

Thailand is cracking down on illegal migrant workers largely from Burma, Laos and Cambodia
under a policy to ensure workers have the right documentation.
Myint Wai is deputy director of the Thai Action Committee for Democracy in Burma (TACDB).

“Even the legal workers also live in fear because their papers and their work permits are not
always finished; not finished the passport process verification. And a problem is many Thai
employers don’t give them the original papers. Another is the officials. Some corrupt official
threaten (workers) and they have to pay money, a bribe.”

Myint Wai says the government needs to make sure that employers give migrant workers the
documents they need.

Factory owners often keep passports or identity papers to prevent workers leaving.

Without these documents on them they will be arrested by the police.

In early June Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said the government was setting up a special
centre to suppress; arrest and prosecute alien workers who are working illegally.

Soon after this mass arrests in provinces near Bangkok began.

Panitan Wattanayagorn is the Thai government spokesman.

“What we are trying to do is begin a systematic regulation of migrant workers in Thailand. There
is a well laid out plan and there are new structures that will be imposed to regulate that. We do
not want to leave the situation out of control like in the past we don’t want millions and millions

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Thailand Detains and Deports Illegal Migrant Workers

Written by Ron Corben

Sunday, 11 July 2010 10:22 - Last Updated Monday, 12 July 2010 10:35

of workers.”

Andy Hall, a consultant to the Human Rights and Development Foundation says the Bangkok
arrests were just the beginning.

“In a way these are kind of a showcase by the government to show that they’re cracking down
on the migrants. We’ve seen six or seven mass arrests of which the total number of arrests is
above 3,000 now. And we’re also starting to get reports from different communities that there’s
a marked increase in the small kind of arrests also.”

He argues the government’s harsh stance on migrant workers has not been well thought out.

“The need for the labour is there; it’s there and the workers need to be in the country but the
system for managing that is a real failure at the moment. And when you have these system
failures, you don’t have good planning, you don’t have sustainable management of migration
then you’re going to see human rights abuses like we’re seeing at the moment.”

Migrant worker rights groups fear for workers especially from Burma. They face a cycle of arrest
and deportation before being smuggled back to Thailand.

Mr ‘Sim’ works at the Burmese drop in centre. He came to the rescue of a 21 year old Burmese
girl who had been arrested.

“She worked in a factory at Bangkae. But the employer did not give her the right documents so
the police arrested her and said she would be deported to Burma. So I gave the police three
USD dollars and I pleaded for her. It was very lucky because some women have to pay 90 USD
dollars (3000 baht).”

The raids can take place anywhere and at anytime.

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Thailand Detains and Deports Illegal Migrant Workers

Written by Ron Corben

Sunday, 11 July 2010 10:22 - Last Updated Monday, 12 July 2010 10:35

Myint Wai from the migrant training centre tells people to be ready.

“Yes it is their right to come to the school. So I have already told the students you must have
your work permit and original paper. If you have no paper or your document is a problem, don’t
come.”

Myint Wai blames the Burmese government’s economic mismanagement for the large number
of Burmese desperate to work in Thailand.

“This is the problem of Burmese suppression. People have no job, no money; they want to
come to work.”

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