Experts call for better treatment of Thailand’s urban refugees
Urban refugees are living difficult lives in Thailand and there needs to be proper legal protection and sufficient humanitarian aid for them to survive, a seminar has been told. Panel speakers at the seminar on “Stand Up for Urban Refugees’ Rights” called for better treatment toward urban asylum seekers and refugees.
The event was hosted by the European Union Delegation to Thailand at Central World on Friday to mark International Human Rights Day yesterday. It was aimed at raising public awareness on the current situation of urban asylum seekers and refugees in Thailand.
“Most people are unaware that there are urban asylum seekers and refugees in Thailand. They live a precarious existence – unable to work, often unable to send their children to school, financially stressed and dependent on arbitrary handouts to survive,” said Jesus Miguel Sanz, head of the Delegation of the European Union to Thailand, in his opening speech at the seminar.
“Many have physical and psychological health problems resulting from the trauma they experienced in their home countries,” he added.