Thousands of Myanmar migrant workers living in Thailand are facing uncertainty about their futures in the country as Thai authorities continue inspections and arrests in cities with large migrant populations, after nearly 207 were arrested in Mae Sot, Tak Province, and 27 were detained in Chiang Mai Province since Saturday.
“If we can’t go to work, we have no income,” a Myanmar migrant worker in Mae Sot told DVB. “We don’t know when authorities might come and inspect. Some young people panicked and ran away.”
A migrant worker group launched a campaign urging Thai authorities to allow them to maintain legal status using Thai-issued migrant registration cards, known as a “pink card,” without requiring Myanmar regime-issued identification documents.
To obtain a “pink card,” a Myanmar migrant must first obtain a Certificate of Identity (CI) issued by Myanmar regime authorities through designated centres in Thailand.
Migrants cited the high cost of obtaining a CI and the privacy concerns of sharing personal data with Myanmar regime authorities, warning that those unable to obtain a CI could lose their legal status in Thailand and become vulnerable to arrest during immigration inspections.
Thai media reported that joint operations involving police, immigration officials, and local authorities have been carried out in around 30 districts across Thailand, including Tak’s Mae Sot, Phop Phra and Mae Ramat, as well as Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani, Hat Yai and Songkhla provinces.
Thai authorities arrested 35 people during an operation at Chiang Mai Railway Station on Oct. 19. Those detained included 27 Myanmar nationals accused of lacking valid residency documents, overstaying visas, or failing to comply with immigration regulations.
A further inspection at a housing complex in Mae Sot on Oct. 19 led to the arrest of seven undocumented Myanmar nationals. On Oct. 17, Thai security forces detained over 200 Myanmar nationals during inspections at 20 separate locations in Mae Sot.
Thai authorities later stated that individuals holding “valid documents” were released, while 85 undocumented Myanmar nationals remained in custody to face immigration charges. They added that the operation was “to prevent crime and enforce immigration laws.”
Thailand’s Labour Ministry reported on Oct. 14 that around 4.1 million Myanmar nationals are working in the country. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) states that 2,308,166 Myanmar nationals were registered as migrant workers in Thailand in March 2024.
The number of undocumented migrant workers from Myanmar in Thailand remains unknown but is estimated to be over double the official figure, according to IOM.
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