Five years after the previous one, which was published in 2019, a new report prepared by the United Nations takes stock of Bangkok’s policies, which – despite the crisis – continue to attract thousands of people from neighboring countries. Although progress has been made, precarious situations are still reported regarding working conditions and social assistance. The problem of the Burmese fleeing war.
Bangkok () – The new report by the United Nations Migration Network (UNMN) in Thailand, the first since 2019, highlights the potential and limits in the reception and management of foreign workers, especially in a country that, despite the ongoing crisis and negative prospects, retains a strong attraction for neighboring populations (and not only) facing war, repression and lack of prospects.
The sixth edition of the report offers a comprehensive analysis of the multiple aspects of the origin of immigration, as well as current policies in Thailand and the reality of immigrants. Based on numerical data, which show greater growth in arrivals in these five years. The number of non-Thai citizens in the country was 4.9 million in the previous report, but is now at least 5.3 million, an increase of eight percent. It is also highlighted that Thailand is not only a transit country for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, as well as for victims of human trafficking, but considerable emigration to Southeast Asia and other places also originates here. a situation that should guarantee a better understanding of the immigration issue in all its facets.
“This report offers an overview of the opportunities that immigrants present and the challenges they must face. It allows us to highlight the crucial role that Thailand can play as a reference country of the Global Compact for migration,” commented the UN Resident Coordinator for Thailand, Michaela Friberg-Storey.
In the eleven chapters of the work, experts from the nine UN agencies involved describe the situation according to four thematic axes: the need to guarantee equal treatment for all, employment conditions, human rights and access to justice , and the increasing social protection and availability of medical care.
Labor migration from neighboring countries – notably Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar – remains the most important aspect of Thailand’s migration landscape, as evidenced by the more than 2.3 million regular migrants from these countries currently registered. However, Thailand continues to impose often extreme conditions on its migrants in terms of wages, working conditions, security and social assistance. These situations are reported in the report, as well as the increase in the mobility of people involved in the migratory phenomenon as a consequence of the pandemic and the conflict in neighboring Myanmar – still ongoing – which has led to a doubling to 1.8 million the number of Burmese in an irregular situation who are in the country
“With the conflict in Myanmar escalating and the flow of Burmese towards the Thai border, the need to implement comprehensive policies that address the specific needs and vulnerabilities of migrants has never been more urgent,” said Géraldine Ansart, Chief of Mission. of the World Migration Organization in Thailand and coordinator of the UNMN in Thailand. These needs require that the Bangkok authorities take measures to comply with the international commitments made and guarantee the sustainable development of the country.
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