“Hundreds” of migrant workers found wandering along the road ahead of camp closures
By Pear Maneechote
June 28, 2021

Hundreds of Cambodian migrant workers were dropped at border checkpoints or even just forced onto the streets over the weekend without any further support, ahead of announced camp closures, a non-government organization said Monday.

“We received reports from the border-crossing point in Surin of the growing number of Cambodian workers rushing to return home,” Human Rights Watch senior researcher Sunai Phasuk told Thai Enquirer.

The government said Friday it will seal off worker camps in Bangkok and neighbouring provinces, as well as four provinces in the south.

It was unclear whether the workers thronging the checkpoints had been sent by employers or government agents, Sunai said. In addition, “hundreds more Cambodians were found by the side of the road, who hadn’t even been taken as far as the checkpoint,” he said, citing officials at the border.

“They were basically just left there on the streets to make their own way to the checkpoint, which was the trigger point that I posted on Twitter.”

The Human Rights researcher took to his Twitter of over 74k followers on Sunday evening to express his concerns.

Exodus of #Cambodian workers after #Thai government ordered one-month- lockdown of all worker camps in #Bangkok and neighboring provinces in an attempt to curb #COVID19 outbreak. Many were dumped on roadside by employers and left to find their way home without help. pic.twitter.com/IZKt7Pzhsw
— Sunai (@sunaibkk) June 27, 2021

The migrant workers are now in quarantine and being screened for Covid-19 in migrant worker camps.

Left by their employers to fend for themselves over the weekend amid the latest wave of coronavirus infections, many are scared for their lives.

In addition to the panic, “they are now being targeted and stigmatized, as causing the recent outbreak,” Sunai said.
https://www.thaienquirer.com/29051/hund ... -closures/

Cambodian workers head for the exit as construction camps close from today
Monday, June 28, 2021
More than 200 Cambodian workers showed up at Kab Cherng immigration checkpoint in Surin province on Sunday to return to their homeland following the government’s order to shut down construction camps in Bangkok and four southern provinces to curb the spread of Covid-19.

Cambodian workers head for the exit as construction camps close from today

Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha said on Friday that the meeting of the Centre of Covid-19 Situation Administration chaired by him had rejected a proposal to lockdown Bangkok and its perimeter areas as well as the four southern provinces of Songkhla, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat, but instead would shut down starting on Monday construction sites that had reported infections for a month.

Prayut said the Ministry of Labour would compensate affected Thais and migrant labourers.

Cambodian workers head for the exit as construction camps close from today Cambodian workers head for the exit as construction camps close from today

“Their employers brought them here on pickup trucks and left them at the checkpoint after the PM’s order was issued,” said an official at the checkpoint. “Officials have to speed up the border-crossing process to reduce crowding at the checkpoint which could increase the risk of Covid-19 spreading in the province.”

Workers waiting to cross the border were ordered to strictly remain at the checkpoint and refrain from wandering to nearby communities or markets to prevent the spread of the virus.

“So far three immigration officers at Kab Cherng checkpoint have contracted Covid-19 despite strict disease control measures being followed,” said the officer.
https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40002541

not a good time to be a migrant worker in Thailand>
the numbers for Cambodia are small compared to the numbers of Burmese workers fleeing and heading back to a country in trouble soon to be facing a civil war

Cambodia News (Banteay Meanchey Province): On June 29, 2021, O' Smach international border gate in Cambodia received 200 Cambodian migrant workers, after the Thai immigration police forcefully deported and dropped them off on the Thai side of the border, due to Covid-19 outbreaks among migrant workers in Thailand. All of the workers were not tested for Covid-19 before being deported.

This incident occurred after the Thai government announced a 1-month-lockdown started from June 28, on workplaces and residences of immigrant construction workers in greater Bangkok.

The situation of the Cambodian migrant workers who have lost their jobs in Thailand, due to the sudden spread of Covid-19 variants, has become even more difficult with the closure of the Thai-Cambodian border. These people, who no longer have a place to live in Thailand and wish to return home to Cambodia, are trapped on the other side of the border until 13 August (at least). Many of them will probably attempt to cross the border illegally, without any health checks.

43 mins ago - BREAKING NEWS
Secretary of State tells Cambodian workers in Thailand not to attempt to cross the border

Heng Sour, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, has told Cambodian workers in Thailand not to leave their homes to cross the border back to Cambodia because the border is closed.

Via Facebook, the Secretary of State said:

‘From now on, all Cambodian workers who are staying and working in Thailand should not move from where they are staying…return will be delayed at least until August 13, 2021′

Mr. Heng Sour stated that at the moment, if workers travel to the Cambodian-Thai border by any means, the Thai authorities will require them to return to their original location.

He added that any broker or person who attempts to transport Cambodian workers across the border into Thailand violates the Thai authorities’ ban and therefore faces legal action.

The Royal Government of Cambodia has decided to close cross-border travel between Cambodia and Thailand from the night of July 29 to August 12 to prevent the spread of COVID-19, especially the new Delta virus.

Cross-border travel is only allowed for freight and essential travel.
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50904302/s ... he-border/

Hundreds Rush Home From Thailand Before Border Closure
4 min read
Tran Techseng and Ouch Sony
| Thu Jul 29, 2021 9:24 pm

More than 300 Cambodians came through the O’Smach checkpoint in Oddar Meanchey — almost as many as had returned this whole month — ahead of the closing of borders with Thailand, while other border provinces prepared curfews and lockdown restrictions.

Two areas of the Oddar Meanchey provincial capital had been roped off as patients were found with Covid-19’s Delta variant, and travel in and out of the province would be largely banned, said Dy Rado, Oddar Meanchey’s deputy governor.
https://vodenglish.news/hundreds-rush-h ... r-closure/

Wouldn't that be a violation of their Human Rights?

Why can't the Cambodian side make a makeshift 'refugee' camp to hold them for two weeks? They could refer to it as 'border quarantine station' or something like that. Much better than leaving them in no-mans land.

Username Taken wrote: ↑Fri Jul 30, 2021 5:18 am Wouldn't that be a violation of their Human Rights?

Why can't the Cambodian side make a makeshift 'refugee' camp to hold them for two weeks? They could refer to it as 'border quarantine station' or something like that. Much better than leaving them in no-mans land.

agree; to not allow ur own citizens back into their home country is an not acceptable:
Surely Cambodia should admit them an hold them in quarantine facilities INSIDE Cambodia
to do otherwise is inhuman!!

to close legal entry only forces them to use traffickers to get in illegally, where there is no checks to see if they have the virus or not.

shame on Cambodia