The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) welcomed the government's decision to grant Thai citizenship to migrants and members of ethnic minorities while urging the government to prevent any abuse and corruption in the process.
Wasant Paileeklee, an NHRC commissioner, said on Friday that the Pheu Thai-led government's move affirmed Thailand's commitment to carrying out pledges made at the High-Level Segment on Statelessness in October 2019.
At the 2019 gathering in Geneva, Thailand endorsed a campaign to end statelessness by 2024.
On Oct 29, the cabinet approved a policy to grant Thai citizenship to over 483,000 migrants and members of ethnic minorities who have lived in Thailand long-term or were born in the kingdom.
Proposed by the National Security Council, the policy expedites the process of granting legal status to people from ethnic minorities residing in the country. The updated framework will simplify eligibility checks, allowing applicants to self-certify their qualifications and criminal history instead of undergoing lengthy investigations by multiple agencies.
According to Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, 825,635 such individuals reside in Thailand, with 483,626 awaiting status confirmation.Mr Wasant said the cabinet resolution is also in line with international human rights principles, the country's constitution, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which Thailand has already ratified.
While commending the government's efforts to address the issue of statelessness, he urged the government to ensure that the policy will not be abused and that it serves its intended purpose of promoting equality without leading to corruption.
Mr Wasant noted that the NHRC has been working with relevant agencies to resolve the issues related to statelessness. Last year, the body presented guidelines at a seminar to promote the stateless people's access to basic rights and welfare.