Over 1.3 million migrant workers from Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar have reported themselves to 86 OSS centres throughout the country for registration as legal workers eligible to work in Thailand until March 31, 2020.
Employment Service Department director-general Anurak Tossarat said Sunday that migrant workers from the three countries who failed to report themselves to the OSS centres within March 31 deadline would face deportation back to their home countries because they were regarded as illegal workers.
He insisted that the Labour ministry had given the migrant workers adequate time since February 5 to report themselves to OSS centres for proper registration, but many of them chose to show up during the last few days.
He maintained that the March 31 deadline had already expired and would not be extended further, adding that, from now on, police and labour officials would check migrant workers and if any of them failed to report themselves and still continue to work would face a fine of between 5,000-10,000 baht and would be deported afterward.
Employers who hire illegal migrant workers will face a fine between 10,000-100,000 baht for the first offence and, for the second offence, will have the fine doubled and may face one-year jailterm plus being blacklisted from hiring migrant workers for three years, said Mr Anurak.
Until March 31, the last day for registration, a total of 1,303,929 migrant workers have reported themselves for registration, leaving behind 75,324 workers who have failed to report themselves.
The number of migrant workers who have reported themselves for registration include 190,098 who did not show up physically at OSS centres but reported via online service.
Migrant workers who have reported themselves for registration will be allowed to return home to celebrate Songkran festival without being charged visa fees for re-entry while those who failed to report themselves within the deadline cannot legally leave the country, but will face arrest and deportation.
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