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THE NATION: Illegal workers will
- Subject: THE NATION: Illegal workers will
- From: suriya@xxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 09 Apr 1998 17:22:00
Politics
Illegal workers will get
reprieve
LABOUR Minister Trairong Suwankhiri said
yesterday the government would not use
force to repatriate more than 300,000
illegal workers by the end of the month as
planned earlier.
''We expect that about 300,000 illegal
workers will be repatriated without force by
the end of April,'' he said.
The ministry also directed nine industrial
sectors hiring foreign workers to dismiss
the ones who ask for a long leave during
Songkran and replace them with Thai
workers.
''We have to do this because we face our
own unemployment problems. More than
300,000 unemployed Thais have applied
for jobs with the ministry,'' Trairong said.
Out of the one million illegal workers, more
than 200,000 had registered with the
ministry, under the previous government,
and the rest were illegal.
''The licence to hire legal workers will expire
in June and we will not renew their licences,
except for those working in fishing industry''
Trairong said.
Smugglers of foreign workers face up to 10
years in jail, employers face three and
those who harbour illegals face up to five
years imprisonment.
The police yesterday rounded up 129
beggars from Cambodia and four gang
leaders in several Bangkok areas, Office of
Police Immigration Commissioner
Chidchai Wanasatit said.
The beggars had been arrested at Bang
Kae market, Victory monument, Pratunam
and leading department stores throughout
Bangkok, Chidchai said.
He added gang leaders had smuggled
disabled Cambodians, mostly children, and
forced them to beg in Bangkok. The
beggars had been forced to make at least
Bt300 a day or they were not allowed to
return to their living quarters.
''The gang also lead to other criminal
activities like pick-pocketing and selling
drugs,'' Chidchai said.
The Nation