‘Historic development’ in Thailand as it moves to end statelessness for nearly 500,000 people
- 2024-11-01 12:00
Thailand has taken a “historic step” towards ending statelessness for nearly half a million people, the UN refugee agency has said, after the country’s cabinet approved a draft law that would grant citizenship to stateless people.
The draft law, which still needs to be approved by parliament, would grant citizenship to an estimated 489,000 stateless people in Thailand, many of whom have been living in the country for generations.
Statelessness is a major problem in Thailand, where an estimated 489,000 people are without citizenship. Stateless people are often denied access to basic rights and services, such as education, healthcare, and employment. They are also at risk of being detained and deported.
The new draft law would grant citizenship to stateless people who have been living in Thailand for at least five years and who meet certain other requirements. The law would also create a new national statelessness determination procedure to identify and register stateless people.
The UN refugee agency welcomed the draft law as a “historic development” and urged the Thai parliament to approve it quickly.
“This is a momentous step towards ending statelessness in Thailand,” said Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. “Stateless people have been living in the shadows for far too long. This law would give them the chance to finally belong.”
The Thai government has been working to address the issue of statelessness for several years. In 2019, the government launched a national campaign to identify and register stateless people. The campaign has so far registered over 100,000 stateless people.
The new draft law is a significant step forward in Thailand’s efforts to end statelessness. If approved by parliament, the law would make Thailand one of the few countries in the world to have a comprehensive legal framework for addressing statelessness.
‘Historic development’ in Thailand as it moves to end statelessness for nearly 500,000 people
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