The government aims to register one million stateless individuals within two years as part of its policy to show good governance.
Justice Minister Pol Col Tawee Sodsong gave an interview yesterday after attending a signing ceremony for a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to support stateless people.
The agreement was signed by several agencies, including the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), the Department of Provincial Administration (DoPA), the Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec), and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).
The MoU's purpose is to enhance collaboration among these agencies in efforts to assist stateless people by ensuring justice in obtaining legal status or citizenship.
The initiative broadly aims to uphold human dignity, promote human rights, reduce social inequality and create a fairer society.
Pol Col Tawee emphasised that the government is committed to improving the quality of life for vulnerable groups, including stateless individuals who lack legal status.
Approximately one million people born in Thailand do not have legal status. The Interior Ministry has already received applications from around 480,000 individuals, but the legal process can take decades, sometimes up to 70–80 years.
The new cooperation aims to accelerate the process so that these individuals can obtain legal status and, eventually, become Thai citizens more quickly.
The seven agencies involved in the agreement will work together to establish clear benchmarks for verifying the status of the 480,000 applicants. All cases are expected to be reviewed and resolved within two years. The government also aims to care for the remaining individuals within its current term.
According to Pol Col Tawee, registered individuals will be eligible for free basic education and the right to public healthcare services.