Community-based organizations (CBOs) operating along the Thailand-Myanmar border have called on the Thai government to allow the more than 108,000 refugees living in nine camps to be allowed to work legally in Thailand.
Eleven Thai and Myanmar CBOs submitted a request to the heads of five key committees, including national security, legislative affairs, labour, foreign affairs, and social welfare, in Thailand’s House of Representatives – the lower house of the National Assembly – on July 15.
They called on the committees to allow refugees in the nine camps located along the Myanmar border, some of which were established nearly 40 years ago, to work legally in Thailand in a public statement made on July 17. This was in response to the further humanitarian aid cuts facing refugees in the camps on July 31.
“Our main request is for the Thai government to create some form of permit that lets refugees leave the camps for work. We want them to have this legal right, not just endless policy discussions,” said Naw Cherry, the spokesperson for the Karen Peace Support Network (KPSN).
The CBOs also put forward five recommendations that would help facilitate refugees getting work. These included launching pilot projects that allow refugees to work near the camps, exempting them from the tax-like fees required to obtain work permits, and registering refugees with the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Thailand.
The imminent end of international aid is not only posing a serious threat to the livelihoods of the refugees in the camps, it is also causing them significant psychological stress, according to the Karenni National Women Organization (KNWO).
“Without the right documents, [refugees] can’t legally work outside the camps, putting them at constant risk of arrest. If caught, they often face complicated legal battles. On top of that, Thailand has been increasing checks and cracking down more harshly on undocumented workers. With refugees unable to return home, they remain stuck and under intense pressure,” Maw Hpray Myar, the KNWO second secretary, told Network Media Group (NMG).
Naw Cherry said that the 11 CBOs hope to create opportunities for these refugees so that they can regain some dignity by earning an income and becoming self-reliant. “Aid cuts keep coming one after another in the border camps. We don’t want these struggles to go on for generations. We want refugees to live with dignity and independence,” she added.
The CBO statement highlighted that refugees are not a burden on Thailand and pointed out that instead, they could benefit the local economy as many areas of the country are facing labour shortages and many refugees have the skills and qualifications necessary to benefit Thai employers.
Out of the nine camps in Thailand, four are located in Mae Hong Son Province, three are in Tak Province, and one each are in Kanchanburi and Ratchaburi provinces.
BNI
