One stop service center opens at border

in General | June 26, 2014 (142 views)

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A one stop service center to register foreign workers started working for the first day Thursday in Sra Kaeo province but with few Cambodians coming to register.

Authorities said there were relatively few migrant workers at the center as most of them – primarily Cambodian labor; were not aware of the existence of such a center.

But they expected that  within the next two days, more of them will be approaching the center.

The one stop service center at Baan Klong Luek village in Aranyaprathet district in Sra Kaeo province opened its doors to register Cambodian labor to resolve the illegal migrant worker problem that has long plagued the country.

The center will issue temporary work permits to those who intend to return over the border for employment in Thailand.

But at the first day of working,  the number of Cambodian workers were low however as not many were aware that the one stop service center were issuing temporary work permits.

The procedure for registering foreign labor at the one stop service center are first, the documentation of migrant workforce, almost exclusively returning Cambodian workers who had left the country following the orders of the National council for Peace and Order (NCPO).

Registration papers will then be issued to each individual and a temporary, 60-day work permit will be granted in accordance with the law.

Finally, the employers of these workers must be present to receive them and take them to their place of employment.

All provinces are then required to set up one stop service centers and all employers with foreign labor are required to register each and every worker with the district.

This entails a physical examination and formal documentation and the process should be completed in under one hour’s time.

The measure will address the critical problem of labor shortage as a result of Cambodian workers fleeing the country en mass and will finally allow migrant labor to be legally employed in the country without the stigma of human trafficking and extortion.

The NCPO sub-panel on transnational labor affairs General Sirichai Dithakul said the opening of the center represented the first positive steps with regards to transnational labor.

He said foreign labor could then be formally regulated finally.

He said authorities are also coordinating with the Thai consulate in Cambodia to release public relation information to inform Cambodian workforce on the measures being put in place in Thailand.

In this way, Cambodian workers will be aware of the registration protocols and will be able to return to work in Thailand.

They will also be informed of their rights and be assured that their welfare will be looked after. In contrast, there were a few hiccups at the Chong Jom border crossing in Surin province and Chong Sa-ngam border crossing in Si Sa Ket province which were unable to accommodate foreign labor documentation as facility preparations were incomplete and had to be delayed.