EU funds asylum-seeking scheme in Thailand

In a statement, the UN agency said the funds would be used to help clear the backlog of asylum applications resulting from a three-fold increase in the number of asylum-seekers in Bangkok since 2013. Additional staff and resources will target some 1,500 urban cases (3,000 persons) from all nationalities who registered with UNHCR in Bangkok before December 31, 2015.

 “The additional funds will help us reduce the waiting time for asylum-seekers to receive a decision on their refugee status so that they can make informed decisions about their future," said Ruvendrini Menikdiwela, UNHCR’s Representative in Thailand.

There are currently more than 2,000 refugees and more than 6,000 asylum-seekers from nearly 50 countries living in urban areas of Thailand.

The project is not linked to resettlement, as resettlement opportunities are reducing in South-East Asia given the critical needs and gaps elsewhere in the world. In 2015, only 0.66 per cent of the world’s refugees were resettled.

The UNHCR is working with the Thai government to improve reception and living conditions – including access to basic services such as healthcare and education – for urban refugees and asylum-seekers while longer-term answers are being sought, said Menikdiwela.