Crackdowns on illegal migrant workers will begin on July 1 when the deadline for registering Cambodian, Lao and Myanmar workers that was extended to June 30 ends, Labour Minister Adul Sangsingkeo warned yesterday.
Of the 360,222 workers required to complete their registration in this extended period, 98,478 have yet to come to the ministry's one stop service centres to do so, said Pol Gen Adul.
Under the cabinet's Jan 16 resolution, a total of 1.32 million migrant workers living and working in Thailand are required to register to ensure their employment is in line with Thailand's migrant labour law, and so they can receive all the work benefits they are owed.
When the first deadline passed on March 31 only 961,946 workers had managed to complete their registration in time, which prompted the cabinet to extend it to June 30.
That leaves 360,222 migrant workers who still have to complete the registration process before the new deadline approaches.
Among the 261,744 workers who have already registered during the extended period, about 35,000 -- mostly in Bangkok and Chon Buri, while the rest are in Trat, Chanthaburi and Chachoengsao -- are pending nationality verification, which is required before they can be granted a visa and work permit, said Pol Gen Adul.
Some 134,491 migrant workers have yet to have their nationalities verified, he said.
After June 30 those caught working illegally in Thailand will be fined between 5,000 baht and 50,000 baht, deported and banned from re-applying for a work permit in Thailand for two years.
Their employers will face a fine of between 10,000 baht and 100,000 baht for each illegally hired migrant worker. A repeat of this offence may result in a maximum prison term of 1 year and/or a fine of between 50,000 baht and 200,000 baht per worker, plus a ban on hiring any more migrant worker for three years.
Also yesterday, the local administrative authorities in Nonthaburi's Bang Bua Thong district found legally registered migrant workers owning shops in a local market, said Wiwat Inthaiwong, chief of the district office.
