Thais Send 218 Illegal Workers Back Home

More than 200 Cambodians who illegally entered Thailand for work were sent back to the border commune of Poipet last week by Thai authorities.

The 218 Cambodians, who had worked in Thai factories and on farms, were turned in to Thai immigration authorities by their bosses when it came time for the workers to be paid.

Banteay Meanchey provincial officials said thousands of Cam­bodians go to Thailand every year to look for jobs, but often  come back with no money be­cause they are turned in to immigration authorities on pay day.

As many as 10,000 Cambo­dians were arrested last year and sent back to Poipet, said Vong Bonn, chief of police of O’Chrou district.

O’Chrou district Governor Sar Chamrong said authorities have arrested a few guides who persuade local villagers to go to Thai­land to look for work. But al­though Cambodians know they risk getting arrested and re­turned to their native land, many still sneak into Thailand because they expect to find high paying jobs, officials said.

“Most of them are very poor and they usually bring along their families,” Vong Bonn said.

Vong Bonn said this year about 4,000 Cambodians working in Thailand were sent back to Poi­pet, indicating a slight drop from last year.

“The numbers have dropped slightly due to information of cheating and the understanding some people have,” Vong Bonn said.

A 1999 Cambodian Develop­ment Resource Institute working paper on labor migration to Thai­land estimated that 82,000 Cam­bo­dians were working there.

 

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