Bangkok – The European Union has commended the Thai government for its management of foreign laborers, noting significant progress in their registration.
Minister of Labor, Pol Gen Adul Saengsinghkaew received EU Plenipotentiary Ambassador to Thailand H.E. Pirkka Tapiola and his delegation this week, after they arrived in the Kingdom to discuss labor cooperation between Thailand and the European Union.
The minister took the opportunity to assure the EU representatives that Thailand has been working diligently to properly register all of its migrant laborers and has integrated its nationality verification systems. He explained that of the estimated 3.8 million foreign workers in Thailand, about 2 million are here under a Memorandum of Understanding while 1.8 million entered the country without legal permission. Of that number, some 700,000 are pending proper registration, which includes the collection of biometric information such as retinal scans. The scans have been especially important in documenting fisheries industry workers with 160,000 so far scanned and about 2,600 left to be documented. The process is expected to be completed by March 31.
He also assured the delegation that the government has emphasized human rights and equality in its work and has been stringent in maintaining the rule of law, with both the Prime Minister and his deputy for security, paying considerable attention to the matter.
The EU envoy lauded the government for its latest legislation concerning foreign workers and for its efforts to register all migrant laborers in the Kingdom. He remarked that the efforts provide a clear starting point for Thailand’s cooperation with the EU and have helped the bloc to grow confident about developing labor relations with Thailand.
