BANGKOK: UNHCR praises Thailand for ending statelessness and nationality, building potential for the country in both education and employment, emphasizing that illegal groups, black and grey aliens have no rights. Mr. Jirayu Huangsap, spokesman of the Prime Minister’s Office, revealed that the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) commends the Thai government’s approach to solving the problem and ending statelessness, stating that it is an important step for Thailand and history in reducing the number of stateless people to the greatest extent ever, following the Cabinet meeting on October 29, 2024, which approved the National Security Council (NSC) proposal to reduce the steps for granting Thai nationality to individuals.
According to Thai News Agency, UNHCR has applauded the Thai government’s leadership commitment to address humanitarian issues, eliminate statelessness, unlock potential, and provide educational and employment opportunities. Thailand was also hailed as a global
and regional leader in eliminating statelessness, being a founding member of the Global Alliance to End Statelessness, an initiative launched by UNHCR, and making a commitment at the Global Refugee Forum 2023 to address statelessness, as well as actively engaging with the United Nations in various areas.
Mr. Jirayu mentioned that last week, the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Justice of Thailand collaborated with UNHCR to set up a mobile civil registration service unit to solve the issue of personal status and nationality for the Moken ethnic group on Koh Phayam, Ranong Province. This initiative aligns with the policy of Prime Minister Ms. Paethongtarn Shinawatra, who announced that she would ensure ‘all Thai people have dignity and honor’ and have equal opportunities for a better life.
The government emphasizes that granting Thai citizenship has been a continuous and strict process for over 50 years. Currently, modern technology is employed to collect various databases, allowing the state to inspe
ct, supervise, and control mechanisms. Previously, it was a challenge to control anything due to individuals having no history, leading to issues such as crimes and drugs. The state could not track and arrest them as they had no place of residence. The government insists that groups of people other than these, such as the gray group, foreign workers, or all types of illegal immigrants, will not have such rights.