Cambodian workers streamed across the border in Sa Kaew province on Tuesday (June 17), after rumours of a crackdown on illegal immigrants by the new military government.
Around 170,000 Cambodian workers have already headed home over the past week, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said, although the exodus is now slowing.
IOM Spokesman, Joe Lowry said many are likely to return to Thailand.
“The next thing that will happen is people will go back to poor areas or poor country, where they don’t have jobs, they don’t have health service perhaps, they might not have enough food. So the motivation for them to go back economically will be quite strong, so we’re waiting to see what will happen if they do go back in large numbers, if they can get the documents to travel and work legally in Thailand in the future,” said IOM Spokesman, Joe Lowry.
The Thai generals who seized power on May 22 to end six months of political turmoil have promised no action against those working legally in Thailand. However, junta leader Prayuth Chan-ocha pledged last week to “tighten” laws applied to foreign labourers.
The junta blames the departures on “unfounded rumours” of imminent action against illegal workers.
However, Cambodians heading down the potholed roads to the border in packed buses and trucks were having none of it.
Kiew Thi, 38, said it had taken him up to 6 hours to reach the border checkpoint from Thailand’s southern Prajuabkirikhan province.
“I’m scared that the soldiers will come and arrest (illegal) Cambodians. We must go and get the documents first,” he said.
Like others, he had been drawn to a job in the Thai fishing industry by monthly wages of 8,000 baht ($250), considerably more than he could earn at home.
“My family told me to return to Cambodia as soon as possible because they heard bad news (about Thailand) and are scared we would be separated,” said Cham Chum, 33, another illegal migrant worker who earned almost 10,000 baht ($300) in the fishing industry.
The Thai economy, Southeast Asia’s second-largest, is heavily dependent on migrant workers, mostly from Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. Migrants cross porous borders to take jobs most Thais are unwilling to do in labour-intensive sectors.
In an attempt to allay fears and stem the flow of workers leaving the country, Thailand’s permanent secretary at the foreign ministry, Sihasak Phuangketkeow, held a joint news conference with the Cambodian Ambassador to Thailand, Eat Sophea.
Sihasak said that there is no crackdown and that Thailand is currently working on a better organization and administration system that would gradually legalise foreign workers in the country
“In the meantime, we will make sure there is more direct and close communication between us (Thai foreign affairs and Cambodia embassy) to prevent rumours and misunderstanding,” said Sihasak.
The Cambodian ambassador said she has spoken with Thai authorities dealing with foreign workers, who assured her that the rights of Cambodian workers, including those without documentation, would be respected.
“I trust that the assurance that I have been getting is going to be observed. And I trust that the rights, the minimum rights of Cambodian workers will be respected,” said Sophea.
The labour ministry says there are more than 2 million legally registered foreign workers in Thailand. More than half come from neighbouring Myanmar, formerly known as Burma.
But Burmese labourers have not joined in the rush to the border and rights groups told Reuters they were trying to allay any fears of impending deportation.
A national verification programme requires migrants to secure passports at home in order to apply for, or renew, Thai work permits. Thai officials had previously turned a blind eye to many provisions of employment laws.
Since taking power, Thai military authorities have proposed policies with nationalist overtones, including the creation of economic zones for migrant workers in border areas in order to free up more jobs for Thais.
(Reuters wires)