Abuse between borders: vulnerability for Burmese workers deported from Thailand

By Karen Human Rights Group • February 22, 2010

The Royal Thai Government appears poised to deport as many as 1.4 million workers that fail to complete “nationality verification” procedures by the end of February 2010. The majority of these workers are Burmese. Based upon extensive research conducted by KHRG and other organisations, it is likely that many of these workers came to Thailand not out of an apolitical desire for economic opportunity, but as a protection strategy initiated in response to the exploitative and violent abuse that drives poverty in their home areas. Moreover, even workers who do not face abuse upon return face abuse at the checkpoints to which Thai authorities transfer them during deportation procedures. These abuses include taxation, forced labour, beatings, killing and rape. Incidents documented in this report took place between November 2009 and February 2010.

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