Thai Cabinet approves registration for illegal migrant workers

[webfact]

Cabinet approves registration for illegal migrant workers

By The Nation

 

 

The Cabinet on Tuesday agreed to allow hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrant workers from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar to register for legal employment, as part of Covid-19 control measures.

 

The workers can register via the Labour Ministry’s Department of Employment from January 15 to February 13. They will be screened for Covid-19 and other diseases as per employment regulations, and receive health insurance for the next two years.

 

After health screening, workers must submit work-permit applications before September 13 and are required to register as resident non-Thai nationals by November 12, 2021.

 

Applications must include children of the workers, who will also be screened and receive health insurance for two years.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30400432

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-12-30

 

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[webfact]

Thailand offers work permits to undocumented migrants to curb COVID-19

by Nanchanok Wongsamuth | Thomson Reuters Foundation

 

 

 

Hundreds of thousands of migrant workers from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar will be allowed to stay for two years

 

BANGKOK, Dec 29 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Thailand on Tuesday said it would allow undocumented migrant workers from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar to work in the country legally for about two years to curb the spread of COVID-19.

 

Migrants have to sign up online and be registered by an employer before mid-September in order to receive a work permit until February 2023, according to a resolution by the cabinet.

 

They will first have to undergo health checks at a cost of about 7,200 baht ($240), a Thai government spokeswoman said.

 

The announcement came as Thailand deals with its worst coronavirus outbreak to-date, with more than 1,500 cases since mid-December having been linked to mostly Burmese migrant workers at a seafood market in central Samut Sakhon province.

 

"The government has been screening migrants in areas at risk, resulting in some employers moving illegal migrant workers out of certain areas to avoid breaking the law," deputy government spokeswoman Traisuree Taisaranakul told reporters.

 

"Also, illegal workers are panicking and moving out of certain areas, which risks spreading COVID-19," she said, referring to the resolution during a weekly press conference.

 

Once the registration period ends in mid-February, authorities should "check, crack down on, arrest and prosecute" undocumented migrant workers, according to the resolution.

 

Thailand has about 2.2 million registered migrant workers - mainly from Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos - but many others work informally in sectors from fishing to farming, activists say.

 

The Migrant Working Group (MWG) - a network of civil society organisations - estimated that between 600,000 and 800,000 migrants would be eligible to register under the new measures.

 

The U.N. International Organization for Migration (IOM) welcomed the resolution but said access to healthcare and COVID-19 testing for migrants "without discrimination" was vital to containing the country's latest coronavirus outbreak.

 

"Fear of discrimination, arrest, detention and restrictions on movement ... act as a primary barrier to migrants in accessing medical treatment," Geraldine Ansart, IOM's chief of mission in Thailand, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

 

The Thai labour ministry last month said about 130,000 migrants from Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos who had entered the country legally and whose permits were expiring could stay in Thailand to work for another two years.

 

Adisorn Kerdmongkol, a coordinator at MWG, said the government should also allow about 100,000 would-be migrants who have already secured work permits to enter Thailand despite the closure of its borders to contain the spread of coronavirus.

 

"Some of these migrants, who are waiting to enter the country to work, are in debt having paid brokers or employers various fees to secure jobs," he said.

 

Though low in comparison to many countries, Thailand's average of 142 new daily cases is a setback for its efforts to keep the virus at bay, having recorded just 6,440 infections and 61 deaths since its first case in January.

 

The government said on Tuesday that more intensive measures might be necessary and urged the public to cooperate to contain a spread that has seen cases in most regions of the country.

 

-- © Copyright Thomson Reuters Foundation 2020-12-30

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[Bender Rodriguez]

I wish I could get a magical WP and work legally, but I would be deported & blacklisted if I dare

[bluesofa]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

They will first have to undergo health checks at a cost of about 7,200 baht ($240), a Thai government spokeswoman said.

Who is paying for the health checks - the government or the migrants?

[biggles45]

Registration? They are illegals so why not just send them back? You are just encouraging more to cone over if they know they can stay

Edited December 30, 2020 by biggles45

[Scott Tracy]

This is all wrong...

 

Illegal migrants getting health insurance, free 2 year right to stay and work.

 

Some of these (legal) migrants, who are waiting to enter the country to work, are in debt having paid brokers or employers various fees to secure jobs," he said.... Word in brackets is mine.

So those who already have work permits can't get in and work, while illegals are feted. Free this, free that, free other stuff. Dang. Ass backwards if you ask me.

[bluesofa]

17 minutes ago, Scott Tracy said:

This is all wrong...

 

Illegal migrants getting health insurance, free 2 year right to stay and work.

 

Some of these (legal) migrants, who are waiting to enter the country to work, are in debt having paid brokers or employers various fees to secure jobs," he said.... Word in brackets is mine.

So those who already have work permits can't get in and work, while illegals are feted. Free this, free that, free other stuff. Dang. Ass backwards if you ask me.

Mind you, I think Thunderbirds 2 would better backwards than Thunderbirds 1.