Thailand, Myanmar join hands to solve issue of undocumented workers

BANGKOK, November 26 (TNA) -Thailand and neighbouring Myanmar have agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation on the deportation of undocumented migrant workers back to Myanmar, after the ongoing nationality verification for immigrants in Thailand ends on December 14, 2012. At Monday’s Thai-Myanmar ministerial meeting, Myanmar Deputy Labour, Employment and Social Security Minister Myint Thein urged the Thai government to find appropriate means to help expedite the deportation process; while ensuring Myanmar migrant workers appropriate welfare, including an increase in their daily minimum wage to 300 baht as of early next year, equally to their Thai fellows nationwide, the issuance of birth certificates and the provision of basic education for the Myanmar workers’ offsprings. The Myanmar side also asked for banking facilities so that the migrant workers can transfer their money back to their home country easily. The Thai authorities were also urged to closely monitor trafficking and abuse of Myanmar migrant workers. In response to Myanmar's requests, Thai Deputy Labour Minister Anusorn Kraiwatnussorn ensured that legally-registered migrant workers from Myanmar will also get the 300-baht daily minimum wage. The deputy minister, however, called for Myanmar to increase its border checks and to improve its immigration services. According to official figures, over 565,000 migrant workers from Myanmar have already applied for the Thai government’s nationality verification service so far, with 473,380 of them having been verified. (TNA)