Thailand, Cambodia to gear up nationality verification for migrant workers

BANGKOK, February 7 (TNA) - Thailand and Cambodia have agreed on expediting a nationality verification process for 430,000 Cambodian migrant workers in the Thai economy to be completed by early next year so that the migrant workers can renew their work permits for another two years. Labour Ministry Spokesman Anunchai Uthaipattanacheep told journalists that the agreement was reached during a discussion in Bangkok on February 6 between Thai Labour Minister General Sirichai Distakul and a Cambodian delegation, led by Cambodian vice chairman of a committee in charge of legalising Cambodian migrant workers in Thailand Hun Manet. The spokesman, who is also an inspector-general of the Thai Ministry of Labour, said the Thai and Cambodian authorities also discussed a distribution process of passports for 240,000 Cambodian migrant workers after they have passed the nationality verification process. According to the spokesman, passports have already been distributed to 4,000 Cambodian workers, while the rest must receive passports by June 2017 so that they can go ahead with applying for visa and work permits. The spokesman stated that Cambodian migrant workers who work in general businesses outside the Thai fishery sector must undergo the verification process by January 2018, as the lenient period will expire on March 31, 2018, while those working in the fishery sector must pass the nationality verification process by September 2017, as the lenient period for them is due to end on November 1, 2017. There are now about a total of 430,000 Cambodian migrant workers in Thailand, 46,000 of whom are working in the local fishery sector. The spokseman revealed that the Cambodian delegation was informed that Cambodian migrant workers in Thailand who do not enter the nationality verification process within an official deadline will be deported after the lenient period ends and if they want to return to work in Thailand, they need to apply through a memorandum of understanding (MOU). To expedite the nationality verification process, Monday's meeting, thus, agreed on setting up a joint Thai-Cambodian working group to lay out a framework on the nationality verification and distribution of passports for Cambodian migrant workers, which should take about 15 days for reaching the conclusion. (TNA)