The government is processing more than 770,000 illegal migrant workers who decided to register with the state in their bid to stay in the country, Employment Department director-general Waranon Pitiwan says.
Penalties under the newly-promulgated law on foreign labour employment will be suspended until the law takes effect on Jan 1 when Thailand will adopt a zero tolerance of illegal labour, he said.
More stringent measures have been taken against human trafficking gangs which take advantage of illegal employment. There is an ultimate goal to terminate officials’ years-long leniency towards unlicensed foreign workers — illegality must be zero.
The views and opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the ASEAN Trade Union Council.
