CNI News
28 Jan 2023
Renewing identity documents poses a major problem for Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand, Thailand-based labour activists told the CNI.
Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand have faced more problems in renewing their identity documents than in their workplaces, and are forced to pay large sums of money for renewing their documents, Thailand-based labour activists told the CNI.
Labour activist U Min Oo of the Foundation for Education and Development told the CNI,"The main problem in renewing identity documents is costs. Migrant workers are in deep trouble for their documents. If they have large families, it is more difficult for them. They have to spend tens of thousands of Baht or at least Baht 15,000 to renew their documents. As it is time to renew their documents, they have to spend a large proportion of their incomes for the renewals. It is difficult for them to renew their documents by themselves, they have to rely on agents. As a result, it costs more money for them and sometimes they are cheated out of their money. As commodity prices are rising on a daily basis. Some employers offer advances to their workers to renew their documents because they understand the situation their workers face. However, some employers take interest in their advances and keep the documents. Therefore, there are problems when their workers want to change jobs.
Migrant workers waiting in queue to renew their passports in front of the Myanmar embassy in Thailand.
Currently, Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand have to renew their documents including passports, certificates of identity, pink cards, work permits and visas.
Moreover, Myanmar workers who came to Thailand under the MOU between the two countries are required to renew their MOU work permits at the end of January.
As a large number of Myanmar migrant workers are renewing their documents, there are some delays, Thailand-based labour activists told the CNI.
Adviser U Aung Kyaw of the Migrant Workers Rights Network told the CNI, "If their documents are not valid because authorities are not able to renew them in a timely manner, the workers will face problems. If such documents can be renewed easily by workers themselves, there will be no agents and workers will be able to pay fees set by authorities. As they have to hire agents, they have to pay Baht 10,000 for document renewal which will incur only Baht 4,000 if they could renew them by themselves. If authorities from both countries can adopt sound policies for the workers in cooperation, it will be beneficial for migrant workers."
As the current renewal processes for documents in Thailand is complicated and take a long time, it is difficult for workers to renew their documents by themselves.
As a result, they have to rely on agents, who sometimes cheat them out of their money.
Activists have warned migrant workers not to make advance payments for document renewals.
