Newly-appointed Labour Minister Adul Sangsingkeo yesterday advised centres overseeing a nationality verification process to streamline their operation to expedite the issuance of work permits to migrant labourers by next March.
Pol Gen Adul yesterday proposed the centres allot migrants who hold queue tickets into two groups: the first to go through a nationality verification process, and the second to health checkups.
Under the time-saving approach, migrants can take turns going through both processes without having to complete nationality verification first.
After passing both steps, they can obtain visas and work permits, respectively, he said.
The nationalities of migrant labourers are required to be verified to secure a CI, a certifying document confirming their nationality which is used for acquiring a work permit.
Pol Gen Adul also stressed that migrant labourers must acquire their work permits by March 31 next year so they can work in Thailand legally.
The labour minister floated his proposition after his inspections at the centres indicated the national verification process was taking around 15-16 hours per person.
He visited two centres overseeing the nationality verification of Myanmar migrants in Samut Sakhon yesterday after he earlier visited a similar centre in Samut Prakan last Thursday.
He was accompanied by Jarin Chakkaphark, permanent secretary for labour, and Anurak Tossarat, director-general of the Department of Employment (DOE).
The inspections aim to address any delays at the centres and similar units in a bid to streamline migrant workers' applications.
"The centres must enhance their workflow with all units working closely together to speed up the national verification process. The number of Thai officials and those from migrants' home countries must be increased as well," Pol Gen Adul said.
Discussions with neighbouring countries will also be held to improve systems relevant to the legalisation of their workers in Thailand.
According to the DOE, each centre in Samut Sakhon is able to issue CI and work permits to around 1,6000 Myanmar nationals a day.
So far, over 1.9 million Myanmar, Lao and Cambodian labourers have yet to attend the nationality verification process. Workers have complained previously of delays and other snags in the process.
Of the migrants, 93,089 work in the fishery industry, of whom 717,473 passed a process certifying their relations with Thai employers and 1.17 million hold "pink cards", temporary work permits which will expire on March 31.
Pol Gen Adul said he also inspected the Port In-Port Out (PIPO) Command Centre in Samut Sakhon.
The centre was established to regulate all fishing trawlers as part of the government's efforts to solve illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing issues raised by the European Community.
Pol Gen Adul's delegation was briefed on the centre's operations and problems by centre chief Wannapol Klomkaew yesterday.
VAdm Wannapol said a system to verify legally-registered fishing vessels was devised while a strict examination was also conducted on their crews to check they were not forced labour and legally obtained work permits to work in Thailand.
So far, the centre has not found illegal migrant workers. However, it requires more interpreters to help communicate with crews, he said.
