Plan unveiled to improve TIP ranking

Plan unveiled to improve TIP ranking

Govt to set up labour union for migrants

The government has announced measures to improve the country's anti-trafficking performance, hoping to boost its status from Tier 2 to Tier 1 in the next US Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report.

Deputy government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had praised the government's efforts in combating human trafficking issues.

The acclaim came after Thailand was moved up from the Tier 2 Watch List to Tier 2 in the 2022 TIP report released by the US State Department.

Gen Prayut hopes Thailand one day will climb to Tier 1, which indicates human trafficking has been eradicated.

Unveiling the Report on Anti-Human Trafficking Efforts 2021, the Social Development and Human Security Ministry said 188 cases have been pursued, an increase from 133 cases in 2020.

The report indicates 17 more public officials were found to be involved in human trafficking rings than the year before.

The ministry has provided aid for 414 human trafficking victims, 148 of whom were rescued from forced labour.

It has also boosted the witness protection fund by 153% from 2020. Victims in criminal cases can receive 123.9% more compensation than in 2020, said Ms Rachada.

She said the ministry would establish a labour union for migrant workers to prevent human trafficking and improve standards in their workplaces.

In Ranong province, officials conducted random checks on four fishing vessels with 36 workers, comprising seven Thais and 29 Myanmar nationals.

No evidence of illegal workers was found. All ships also contained valid licences, the team reported.

Ranong governor Noppasit Udomsuwannakul took the team to inspect fishing ships in the province on Tuesday.

Their inspection included the ship's conditions on board and migrant worker health screenings conducted by the Ranong Provincial Public Health Office.

Apart from checking the work permits of those employed on fishing ships, the team also found the employers had signed their staff up to receive social security help.

The team also told the workers of the welfare and benefits owed to them, in both Thai and Burmese.

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