Foreign children arrested for entering the country illegally with their parents will no longer be held at the Immigration Bureau's detention centre while they are waiting to be deported, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon said on Monday.
Gen Prawit, who also serves as defence minister, was speaking after witnessing the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) detailing measures and approaches on their detention.
The MoU was signed at Government House by representatives from seven state agencies who are dutybound to take care of such children.
The state agencies comprised the Royal Thai Police, the Social Development and Human Security Ministry, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Labour.
Gen Prawit, who is overseeing the country's national security policy, said the MoU is aimed at stepping up efforts to ensure fair and just treatment of foreign children.
He failed to disclose where the children would be sent after they are arrested but clarified that the National Security Council would act as a coordinating centre on this.
The amended policy will help protect their rights in line with international practices, he added.
"I'm confident that every Thai realises the efforts the government is making in trying to protect these children. Our guiding principle is to uphold their rights and avoid detaining them," he said.
"This accord will be adopted by each state agency to tackle the issue of their detention, with clear duties for each agency," he added.