The Thai authorities have started arresting illegal migrant workers and migrant workers who violate the labor law for migrant workers since early July.
According to the Thai immigration department, the Thai authorities have started arresting Myanmar migrant workers who are illegally working as vendors in Mae Sot and migrant workers from the Shan State in Chiang Mai since July 2 morning.
“[The Thai authorities] started arresting those without labor cards and those living illegally on July 2. Then, they are extradited to Myawaddy in Myanmar. The vendors don’t dare to come to the Mae Sot Market,” said a woman who works as a vendor in Mae Sot.
According to the Thai immigration department, 60 Myanmar migrant workers have been arrested and extradited to Myawaddy on July 2.
The Thai authorities have been inspecting and arresting migrant workers in the eastern and western area of the Chiang Mai University, the Chiang Mai Market, construction staff housing, factories, and construction projects inside the Chiang Mai Province.
“The workers need to bring full documents wherever they go. They will be arrested if they don't have full documents. [The Thai authorities] will conduct inspections since the deadline is over. I want to urge the workers to bring all the required documents,” said Sai Pin from the Human Rights and Development Foundation.
The Thai Labor Minister announced that Thailand will launch a crackdown against illegal foreign workers including Myanmar workers starting from 1st July.
Officials from the Thai and Myanmar governments have reached an agreement to transfer illegal Myanmar migrant workers to the Myanmar Embassy after they have been arrested.
The Thai government issued two-year visa and work permits to migrant workers by June 30 and announced on June 30 that 2,604 Myanmar workers have not completed the registration process.
The Thai Ministry of Labour has announced that illegal migrant workers will be fined between 5,000 and 50,000 baht and deported after paying the fines and banned from working inside Thailand for two years. Employers who hire migrant workers without permits or have them do restricted jobs will be fined between 10,000 and 100,000 baht per worker.
The Thai government has halted the crackdown against migrant workers and extended the registration deadline for foreign migrant workers twice in December 2017 and March 2018 and the registration deadline was reached on June 30.
Around two million Myanmar nationals are working in Thailand and around 800,000 Myanmar migrant workers have been registered by the end of June, according to labor affairs officers.
