The current Thai government’s new policy to create more systematic and efficient management of migrant workers can kill three birds with one stone.
The implementation of this policy, the Royal Ordinance on Foreign Workers Management, has been postponed. But the policy itself will eventually come into effect within the next four months. It will serve three purposes.
First, it will partly solve problems with illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in Thailand. The European Union (EU) requires all marine fisheries products exporting to the EU to follow its IUU regulations, otherwise importers can face substantial penalties.
Thailand received a yellow card from the EU in April 2015, a warning sign that the Thai government’s efforts to combat the IUU problems were still below EU standards.
Second, the new migrant worker policy will also address the human trafficking problem. Every year, the US State Department issues the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report which classifies countries into four tiers Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 2 Watch List and Tier 3. The classification is based on the degree of a country government’s efforts to eliminate human trafficking.
Tier 3 countries may face sanctions imposed by the US government such as measures to put a hold on bilateral or multilateral trade talks or to withhold or withdraw non-humanitarian, non-traderelated foreign assistance (such as assistance from the International Monetary Fund or the World Bank).
Ranked in Tier 3 in 2014 among the worst offenders, Thailand was upgraded to the Tier 2 Watch List in June 2016. The upgrade signified improvements in the country’s efforts to solve the problem. But being a Tier 2 country also means more work urgently needs to be done.
Third, the new policy will ensure protection of rights of migrant workers who are often marginalised, exploited and discriminated against. Migrants who work in Thailand without work permits are the most vulnerable and exploited.
The new policy will provide a chance for migrant workers to be registered in the formal system to ensure they will not be deprived of their rights or exploited by traffickers or employers.
The government needs to work toward achieving sustainable fishing. While cracking down on IUU fishing can help demonstrate its commitment to fix the problem, sustainable fishing is key to addressing the overall IUU problem and it also forms the basis for the EU’s IUU regulations. To achieve sustainability in its fishing industry, the government should work with all stakeholders including fishery specialists and scholars to formulate a long-term strategy.
Siam News Network, CC Wu Building, 302-308 Hennessy Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong.