Immigration Officer

Immigration Officer: Rejected repatriates shall be looked after
Migrants

Five days after the first batch of 200 illegal migrant workers were sent back to Burma through Myawaddy, an immigration officer told a workshop on migrants in Chiangmai today returnees turned down by Burmese authorities would be cared for by Thailand.

"The workers' photographs and resume will be taken and presented to Burma," said Police Special Col. Wirachart Priyawong from Bangkok Immigration Bureau to the meeting that was participated in by representatives from NGOs, governmental services and business sectors and academics. "Whether or not they will be admitted is up to the Burmese side."

Thailand spends B. 45 on food for each ward per day, and provide medical care when they are ill, he added.
One of the problems faced by the registration officials was reported to be discussed at some length by the participants.

"Most of those from non-Burman origins would not consider themselves as Burmese national," said Adisorn Kerdmongkhol, a known Thai activist.

Dr. Suphang Chanthavanich, a professor from the Asian Research Center on Migration, Asia Studies, Chulalongkorn University, concurred. "Imagine someone who has been living all his life as a Leu Shan, and all of a sudden he is being categorized as a Burmese. He must be totally confused," she commented.

No solution on the subject, however, was as yet proposed though a chain of recommendations on repatriation, health, protection and education for the migrant workers as well as official corruption was produced at the end of the two-day workshop.

"The issue of irregular immigrant workers is bigger even than several ministries put together," said Dr. Premsak Piayura, Chairman of the House Committee on Labor, "but the present government has kept it under the wings of a department (which is lower than a ministry). It is a regional issue that affects all our neighbors."

He said the House labor committee would push for solution of the issue at the regional level.

An international conference on migrant labor is to be held next year, 5-9 January, at Lotus Pang Suan Kaew Hotel, Chiangmai.