Illegal North Korean migrants on rise

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Illegal North Korean migrants on rise

Thailand proves a popular staging point for attempts at third-country resettlement

Published: 6/05/2011 at 04:10 AM
Newspaper section: News

Thai authorities have rejected South Korea's proposal to build a coordination centre to deal with North Koreans illegally entering the country over concerns that it might encourage more inflows of migrants from the communist nation.

South Korea reportedly asked the government early this year to build the centre in Chiang Rai province, a popular entry point for illegal North Korean immigrants into Thailand.

Most of the immigrants have escaped economic hardship in North Korea and travelled to Thailand for temporary refuge in the hope of being able to resettle in third countries, usually South Korea, a source at the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) said.

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Writer: Wassana Nanuam & Wassayos Ngamkham

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johninbkk
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Discussion 6 : 06/05/2011 at 07:59 PM6
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D1 and D4 - The North Koreans have no interest in using the Thai welfare system or 'draining Thailands resources'. They do not plan to stay or even want to stay. They come, and South Korea then pays for a flight to South Korea asap. The end.
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faceless1
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Discussion 5 : 06/05/2011 at 01:08 PM5
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..."However, Pol Maj Gen Phansak said police still have no evidence to confirm that Thais were involved." ... more likely they prefer to allow the lucrative business to continue. There have been documentaries aired on TV showing the smuggling chain. Thais were shown transporting the N Koreans right into centre of Bangkok.
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banmebkk
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Discussion 4 : 06/05/2011 at 11:53 AM4
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Well the fact is that no North Koreans ever get sent back, Thailand has no political or economic relationship with North Korea so they do not deport them back to North Korea. In these cases South Korea helps with the resettlement, the majority gets flown to South Korea and given a new life.

Building a new refuge center will just encourage more North Koreans to come to Thailand, it will just drain Thailand's resources. Thailand can't even control illegal immigrants from neighboring countries, setting up one for Koreans doesn't make sense.

The only country that would send North Koreans back is China as seen in the news last year.
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dao
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Discussion 3 : 06/05/2011 at 10:01 AM3
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With out knowing it Thailand plays an important part in North Koreans escaping their repressive country .If deported back they would be killed for sure .The fact that they would even attempt this trip shows how bad it must be in Kim Jong Ils backyard .
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johninbkk
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Discussion 2 : 06/05/2011 at 09:52 AM2
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Those who flee North Korea and returned are summarily executed, or if they are unlucky, sent to hard labor camps and starved to death. Do a youtube search for 'escape north korea'.
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Ian Wensor
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Discussion 1 : 06/05/2011 at 09:23 AM1
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I'm a humanitarian but in this case the government's decision is right. Most of those who wish to come here have nothing to offer, will only deplete our deplorable welfare system and who knows how many are subversive infiltraters with ulterior intentions ... WE'VE GOT ENOUGH PROBLEMS.
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Illegal North Korean migrants on rise | Bangkok Post: news