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Over 2 million migrants have been threatened by the Thai Government with deportation after February 28 if they fail to enter a complex "nationality verification" process. Over 80 per cent of these migrants are from Burma and face discrimination as well as continuing economic deterioration in their homeland, which is controlled by a military government.

Migrants from Burma left their country as refugees. They are being pressured by the Thai government to submit their details, return to Burma to complete verification and then supposedly return to work "legally" in Thailand with temporary Burmese passports.

This is a policy of mass deportation of Burmese refugee workers to put them at the mercy of the military government in Burma, which has a terrible record of oppression and murder. 

The International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM), the International Metalworkers' Federation (IMF), The International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations (IUF) and the Building and Wood Workers' International (BWI) have joined the Human Rights and Development Foundation in Thailand and many unions and human rights groups in the region in seeking to change this ruling and ensure protection of migrants workers' rights.

Read the Open Letter of protest against the Thai government

Read the ICEM letter of protest against the thai government

Read the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights report on the situation