Hundreds of Taiwanese refugees sing at a happy services in the church on the outskirts of Bangkok as they share some time away from their daily lives in fear of being arrested or deported.
Thailand, which is not a member to the UN Refugee Convention, makes no distinction between refugees and other workers, and thousands of people live there undetected.
Specialists claim that a new program that will go into effect later this month will enable them to distinguish between those for whom it would be too risky to return home and those who are living illegally in Thailand.
But, refugees and rights protesters are cautious, claiming that the system might be applied badly and yet hasten deportations for those deemed unsuitable for asylum.
Asian pastor Sung Seo Hoa told AFP that” as we live improperly, we are all worried and scared.”
The Christian priest, a representative of Vietnam’s Hmong minority, claimed that the socialist government had pressured him to leave the country 12 years prior.
Hoa claimed that he and other members of his neighborhood live in fear.
” We are afraid of being detained by the police, arrested, and sent up to Vietnam. 24 hours a day, that’s what we are most scared of ,” he said.
Hoa has no intention of undergoing the new testing procedure.
” Applying carries some challenges. They have the authority to send us up to Vietnam as well. I doubt I’ll submit an application, he said. ( Story is more detailed below )
After Sunday services, members of the Vietnamese Hmong community in Thailand— many of whom are asylum seekers — assemble at a Bangkok Christian church. ( Image: AFP )
” Fox in the house ,” as they say.
Thai law will start screening 5,000 generally industrial refugees and asylum seekers under the fresh National Screening Mechanism, which will go into effect on September 22.
Temporary residence grants, as well as access to healthcare and institutions, may be given to candidates who are granted” protected people” reputation, but they do not have the right to work.
The program, according to Naiyana Thanawattho of Asylum Access Thailand, which offers legal help, is” a move in a good direction ,” but it could also be” used as an out-of-the-way process, not as in-between.”
What Phil Robertson, Human Rights Watch’s deputy director for Asia, referred to as a” national security escape hatch ,” is of particular concern.
Robertson stated that the government had state,” For national security motives, we don’t want to display that individual as a refugee, and we do not need to show you why.” These rules are pretty broad and vague.
He added that this might have an impact on specific groups, including North Koreans, the Rohingya Muslim majority in Myanmar, and Uyghurs in China.
As police will be in charge of the testing committee, Robertson said that the new system may be” ripe for abuse.”
” This is akin to handing control of the meat house over to the wolf.”
Information of the program, such as whether candidates may be detained for immigration purposes, are still being worked on by the Thai Immigration Bureau.
There will eventually be a specific pay-to-play match going on. People will be able to obtain standing once the system is operational if they have money, according to Robertson.
Criminal background checks may be part of the verification process, according to Patrick Phongsathorn of Fortify Rights, a campaign group that runs the risk of catching Myanmar anti-coup activists who have” false criminal charges against their names.” ( Story is more detailed below )
A Sunday services at a Christian temple in Bangkok features the singing of Hmong Christian pastor Sung Seo Hoa and his congregation. ( AFP photo )
” Rebel trade shop”
According to Patrick, Thailand’s history of deporting refugees, including 109 Uyghurs to China in 2015, was even a cause of mistrust.
He said,” We see that repressive governments in this area work together to eliminate one another’s dissidents— a swap shop, if you will.
According to US surveillance organization Freedom House, a journalist and government critic from Vietnam vanished in 2019 and then reappeared in Vietnam, where he was given the death penalty of 10 times.
In 2021, four Thai rebels who had been exiled from Thailand were likewise detained upon their return.
The Thai Department of International Organizations responded that” respect for privacy and security” are fundamental guidelines when asked if applicants’ information may get shared with foreign institutions.
The department added that it would not gain unsuccessful candidates to their countries under the usual principle of non-refoulement and that” We have a decades-long charitable tradition.”
Non-refoulement refers to the inability to return someone to a location where they would be in danger of specific basic rights violations. & nbsp,
Additionally, the office stated that candidates had 90 days to file an appeal against a rejection.
Examinations have been conducted by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees under the present system, but it is unclear how long this will last.
To” establish a good, useful, and clear protection mechanism in line with global standards ,” according to the organization, it has been collaborating with Thailand.