Thailand becomes popular destination of illegal migrants

BANGKOK, Aug 11 (TNA) -- Four million migrants live in Thailand and 90% of them came from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar and risked being victims of human trafficking, according to a report presented by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ). Their latest report on “Trafficking in persons from Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar to Thailand” found that in 2015 more than 4 million migrants settled in Thailand and 3.6 million of them were illegal migrants from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. Most of them were victims of many forms of human trafficking, especially the labor-concerned one. Migrants wished to earn higher wages in Thailand but actually they were abused and received low wages for their status as illegal immigrants. Many male workers were in fishery, construction and agricultural sectors. Female workers were usually in service, domestic and textile sectors and were also sexually abused. Migrant children, especially boys, were found especially in tourist destinations and were beggars. TIJ executive director Kittipong Kittayarak said questioned migrants said they chose to sneak into Thailand because it was convenient and legal migration channels were complicated and costly. He proposed the government solve the issues of legal labor import, strictly enforce laws, protect migrants, educate them and provide them with equal welfare. He hoped that the trafficking in persons report would be useful for future policies and solutions. (TNA)