As aid slashed for border camps, will Thailand let displaced persons work?

Calls to grant displaced persons the right to work in Thailand are growing louder, as nine refugee camps face losing most of their funding at the end of this month.

Legal employment for displaced persons “will turn a burden into a force for progress,” said Kannavee Suebsang, an MP from the Fair Party. “The government must be bold enough to implement sustainable solutions like this.”

Kannavee noted that the United States is reducing financial aid for displaced persons, with all US funding to the two agencies running the camps – the Border Consortium (TBC) and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) – set to be withdrawn by the end of July.

This will slash TBC’s monthly budget for food and shelter by 40 million baht, while the IRC will cut its monthly healthcare budget by 14 million baht from August.

The two agencies feed, house and provide medical services for up to 100,000 displaced persons on the border between Thailand and Myanmar, where an ongoing civil war is worsening the longstanding refugee crisis.

Kannavee’s call was reinforced by a joint petition titled “Request for an Opportunity for Refugees in Temporary Shelters to Emerge as a Quality Workforce” signed on July 15 by a dozen border-based organisations and allied networks.

Signatories include the Karen Refugee Committee (KRC), the Karen Women’s Organisation (KWO), the Karen Peace Support Network (KPSN), the Karen Student Network Group (KSNG), the Karenni Refugee Committee (KnRC), the Karenni National Women’s Organization (KnWO), the Friends Without Borders (FWB), Bridging Voices Project, the Council of Indigenous Peoples in Thailand (CIPT), the Human Rights and Development Foundation (HRDF) and the Migrant Working Group.

Meanwhile, TBC has informed the House committee on national security it will be forced to slash its budget to feed and shelter the most vulnerable displaced persons – who make up roughly 15% in the camps – to 4 million baht per month.

Recommended solutions

The petition urges the authorities to launch a pilot project for employment of displaced persons, so they can start supporting themselves and giving back to society as soon as they reach working age.

“At least 40% of the displaced persons were either born in Thailand or have lived here since early childhood, with many having no experience of life anywhere else,” the petition stated.

“For a large number, Thailand is their only true home.”

The organisations argue that displaced persons who see Thailand as their home and are registered with the Interior Ministry should be allowed to boost a workforce that is shrinking due to the country’s ageing population.

They also urge the government to implement localised management of refugee employment, a streamlined and fee-free process, Thai language classes, and refugee registration. The groups say these moves will help strengthen both the economy and national security.

The petition states that while confining displaced persons to camps without the opportunity to work may be appropriate in short-term emergencies, the border camps have now been operating for decades.

TBC’s executive director, Leon de Riedmatten, told Transborder News that his organisation has long pushed for allowing displaced persons to work, even if only in jobs within the camps.

Migrant Working Group (MGW) coordinator Adisorn Keadmongkol agreed, saying authorities should be encouraging refugees to earn a living instead of relying on costly provision of food and healthcare.

The government’s take

The National Security Council (NSC) says it plans to open job opportunities for displaced persons to help them become self-reliant and less dependent on aid. However, NSC officials describe refugee employment as a medium-term plan that will not be implemented immediately.

“The priority now is for the Interior Ministry and Public Health Ministry to assess how much funding is needed to continue providing humanitarian assistance,” NSC representatives told a recent meeting with the House committee on national security, border affairs, national strategy and national reform.

For the medium-term plan, the NSC said it will consider legal amendments that pave the way for refugee employment. Once these are in place, camps could be closed or remain open only for elderly or ailing displaced persons.

However, the MGW’s Adisorn argues that the government could allow them to work right away by invoking the Immigration Act and the Alien Work Act.

“All it has to do is issue a Cabinet resolution and the plan can be implemented,” he said, adding that they might simply be required to report regularly to authorities after leaving the camps.

He said fears that refugee employment would steal jobs from Thais are unfounded, as many sectors are faced with severe labour shortages. He added that the displaced persons pose no security threat since they are not members of armed groups fighting Myanmar’s military regime.

Healthcare concerns

The Public Health Ministry has stepped in to support medical services at nine refugee camps along the Myanmar border in Tak, Mae Hong Son, Kanchanaburi and Ratchaburi. The ministry will take over all healthcare duties from August 1, when the IRC will withdraw.

“We will check medical supplies left behind by the IRC and plug any gaps so healthcare services are not disrupted,” said Dr Worawit Tantiwattanasap, director of Umphang Hospital, which lies close to the border.

However, he stressed that the ministry must dedicate regular funding for refugee healthcare to protect both humanitarian needs and public health .

“They are at risk from diseases such as cholera and tuberculosis, which can spread beyond the camps to the Thai public,” Dr Worawit said.

Thai authorities should retain medical staff who have been working for years at the camps to ensure a smooth transition, said Dr Nuttagarn Chuenchom, an infectious disease specialist formerly at Mae Sot Hospital.

“The structure of the camps is complex, with a web of sections where most communication is in Burmese and Karenni,” she said in a Facebook post.