Nakhon Si Thammarat: Lack of papers leaves many Rohingya jobless

Lack of papers leaves many Rohingya jobless

By The Nation

MANY MUSLIM migrants living in Nakhon Si Thammarat province cannot work legally because they do not have nationality verification documents.
 

They fled violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State four or five years ago.

Nuru Mamad, a Myanmar Muslim migrant, who has been living in the South for the past 15 years, said many migrants living in Songkhla and Ranong provinces do not have a Certificate of Identity (CI) which is required to register as legal migrant workers. 

This is because they need house registration and other documents signed by the Myanmar police and local authorities to obtain a CI. These, he said, were impossible to procure. 

Sofi Muhammad, however, said those who came to Thailand six years ago did not face these problems. In the past, Myanmar Muslim migrants could have their nationality verified and get a passport, even if they did not have their citizenship documents, he said. 

“But now the situation is different,” he said, urging Thai authorities to help. 

Many Rohingya people have fled to Thailand in search for work, but employment is not possible with the latest obstacles put forward by Myanmar officials.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30354828

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-09-20