Mizzima News

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) - Activists feel that the Thai official’s announcement to reward informants leading to the arrest of illegal migrant workers will not solve the problem of illegal migration to the country.

Adisorn Kerdmongkol, Advocacy and Research Officer of the International Rescue Committee told Mizzima that the announcement urging people to inform authorities for the arrest of illegal migrant workers would add to anxiety among workers and cause division in the local community where Thai and Burmese live together.

“But this is not a real solution to the illegal migrant problem in Thailand and may lead to more corruption at the operational level,” he said.

The comment came after the announcement by Pichai Eakpitakdamrong, Director of Thailand’s Department of Employment on Wednesday where he urged people to inform the authorities for the arrest of illegal migrant workers. The informant would be rewarded, according to a report in Thai government’s website.

The action comes after policemen in Bangkok arrested more than one hundred illegal Burmese migrant workers in a company meeting which they [migrant] attended as salespersons. This job was not meant for migrants and some of them were undocumented.  

The Thai government which has imposed a migrant labourers law in 2008, noted that working illegally in the country is a crime. And the informants will be rewarded as a percentage from the charged fee.

Kerdmongkol added that though the law has been imposed for a year it rarely happens in the practical field. The announcement could lead to a negative impact such as in the case in Malaysia where a similar policy is used. He added that in Malaysia there is a group which searches for illegal migrants and informs authorities to get rewards that has caused fear among workers.

According to Kerdmongkol, who works closely with migrant workers in Bangkok, currently the police took action on the group by raiding and arresting an estimated 500 workers every day.

Surapong Kongchanteuk, a rights lawyer from Thai Lawyers Council said that this official action would lead to misunderstanding in society.

“The aim of this law is to stop illegal migration which is operated by agents who bring the people to the country illegally. The focus of officials should be these agents, not the workers,” he said and added that generally, it’s difficult to arrest the agents.

Kongchanteuk added that the announcement will have a psychological effect among workers and employers and may lead to informants operating from personal conflicts or bias.

According to the law illegal migrants in Thailand’s would be fined a maximum 20,000 baht [571$] and will be deported from the kingdom. The employers of these illegal migrant would be charged 50,000 baht [1, 428$] and face a maximum of five years jail and agents who bring them -- 100,000 baht [2, 857$] with a maximum of 10 years in prison. The reward for an informant will depend on each case [about 20% of the charged fee].