Migrant registration won't be extended

Migrant registration won't be extended

The Labour Ministry will not extend the deadline for the registration of migrant workers which ends late this month, said a senior labour official.

Arak Phrommanee, director-general of the Department of Employment, said a crackdown on illegal employment of migrant workers will be launched as soon as the registration period ends on July 29.

Arak: Migrant figure 'simply made up'

"The registration drive is designed to ensure more efficient management of migrant workers. It will help employers too," he said.

He said employers who hire undocumented migrant workers will be fined 100,000 baht for each illegal migrant worker hired.

Labour authorities will work closely with police, immigration officers and security agencies to stamp out undocumented migrant workers, he said.

According to Mr Arak, a total of 786,743 migrant workers along with 17,218 dependents from Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos have registered with authorities.

More than 800,000 migrant workers are expected to register.

He said the ministry is also reviewing regulations to allow both employers and employees to terminate employment contracts. Employers must report to authorities if their staff abandon work. The move is intended to solve the problem of migrant workers leaving jobs and becoming illegal workers.

Mr Arak dismissed claims there are more than three million migrant workers in the country, saying the figure was simply made up.

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