Migrant workers face deportation on Thai junta's order

 

The joint military and police operation was launched today. 

Over 100 armed officers raided an area on Mae Sot-Khangphiban Road in the district's municipality area, finding more than 100 illegal workers in shelters. 

According to Col Pongnakorn Nakhonsantiphap, immigration police chief in Tak province, the Myanmar workers are now detained at the immigration office awaiting deportation. 

"Some workers have already fled," he said, adding that the raid is in line with the National Council for Peace and Order's policy. 

He noted that the joint operations have resulted in satisfactory results. Several landowners have stopped renting their land for the illegal workers, for fear of breaking the law.

The junta announced yesterday the plan to crack down on illegal workers, saying that they threaten national security. However, it promised that the policy would take into consideration local business demand for foreign workers.

It is estimated that some 4 million migrant workers are working in Thailand, mostly in the fishery and construction industries. Some 3 million are believed to come from Myanmar.

Myanmar's tourism industry has so far escaped negative consequences since the Thai coup was declared on May 22. Thailand is the biggest market by destination, with over 600,000 visitors coming to Myanmar through its airports. Meanwhile, a car dealer from the Myanmar border town of Myawaddy said that the political situation in Thailand has delayed car imports, affecting some 1,000 vehicles as of last week. 

Yesterday, Cambodian workers, legal and illegal, began flocking back to their home country, amid rumours that the NCPO’s would begin cracking down on them or closing border checkpoints. Rumours spread fast, especially after armed soldiers led numerous raids on places suspected of sheltering illegal immigrants in recent weeks. 

Department of Employment director general Pravit Khiengpol, however, firmly denied the rumours. “Some ill-intentioned people have spread this false info,” he said. 

He insisted all 441,569 legally registered Cambodian workers could remain in Thailand as usual.

Issara Boonyoung, president and CEO of Kanda Group and advisor of Business Housing Association, told The Nation that he is concerned that NCPO policy could damage the construction industry in Thailand.

“The industry needs more than 1 million alien workers, most of them being registered properly. Some may have difficulty undergoing registration process, though,” he said. 

He said the strict stance by the NCPO might delay ongoing constructions and delivery of construction projects to the customers. 

LPN Development Plc’s managing director Opas Sripayak asked for leniency, as about half of construction workers in country’s construction industry were alien workers.