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THE NATION: Illegal workers will



Politics 

      Illegal workers will get
      reprieve

      LABOUR Minister Trairong Suwankhiri said
      yesterday the government would not use
      force to repatriate more than 300,000
      illegal workers by the end of the month as
      planned earlier. 

      ''We expect that about 300,000 illegal
      workers will be repatriated without force by
      the end of April,'' he said. 

      The ministry also directed nine industrial
      sectors hiring foreign workers to dismiss
      the ones who ask for a long leave during
      Songkran and replace them with Thai
      workers. 

      ''We have to do this because we face our
      own unemployment problems. More than
      300,000 unemployed Thais have applied
      for jobs with the ministry,'' Trairong said. 

      Out of the one million illegal workers, more
      than 200,000 had registered with the
      ministry, under the previous government,
      and the rest were illegal. 

      ''The licence to hire legal workers will expire
      in June and we will not renew their licences,
      except for those working in fishing industry''
      Trairong said. 

      Smugglers of foreign workers face up to 10
      years in jail, employers face three and
      those who harbour illegals face up to five
      years imprisonment. 

      The police yesterday rounded up 129
      beggars from Cambodia and four gang
      leaders in several Bangkok areas, Office of
      Police Immigration Commissioner
      Chidchai Wanasatit said. 

      The beggars had been arrested at Bang
      Kae market, Victory monument, Pratunam
      and leading department stores throughout
      Bangkok, Chidchai said. 

      He added gang leaders had smuggled
      disabled Cambodians, mostly children, and
      forced them to beg in Bangkok. The
      beggars had been forced to make at least
      Bt300 a day or they were not allowed to
      return to their living quarters. 

      ''The gang also lead to other criminal
      activities like pick-pocketing and selling
      drugs,'' Chidchai said. 

      The Nation