New panel formed on illegal foreign

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Subject: New panel formed on illegal foreign labour

  Local & Politics 


New panel formed on illegal foreign labour

THE government policy-making committee on the easing of unemployment problems
yesterday failed to agree on solutions to the problem of illegal foreign
labourers. 

Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai, who chaired yesterday's meeting of the panel at
Government House, said that because of the disagreement a sub-committee headed
by Deputy Premier Korn Dabaransi had been assigned to review the proposals. 

Yesterday's meeting was unable to agree on whether to reduce the number of
provinces where foreign labourers are allowed to work, particularly in
industries suffering from labour shortages. 

Korn said yesterday his sub-committee would study the proposals in detail and
submit their findings for the committee's deliberation by Aug 3. ''I am sure
the committee's review will be completed before Aug 4,'' he said. 

Aug 4 is the last day of the grace period for hiring illegal foreign
labourers,
set by the Cabinet in a resolution last year. 

Korn said only manual labourers would be allowed to work. 

Labour Minister Wuth Sukosol said the government would try to keep the number
of foreign illegal workers below 200,000. Illegal immigrant workers are
currently estimated at one million. 

Panit Charoenpao, a labour leader and committee member, said yesterday he
disagreed with the policy of allowing illegal foreign labourers to work in
Thailand, adding that they should be replaced by unemployed Thais, who
currently number 1.1 million. 

The Nation