UNHCR commends Cabinet’s ‘historic’ resolution to end statelessness

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has praised Thailand’s efforts towards ending statelessness following the Cabinet’s approval of an accelerated pathway to permanent residency and nationality for nearly half a million stateless people who have been living in and contributing to Thailand for generations.

Under a proposal approved in principle on Tuesday (October 29), some 335,000 longtime residents of Thailand and members of officially recognised ethnic minorities will be eligible for permanent residence and over 142,000 of their children who are born in Thailand will be eligible for Thai nationality. Those granted permanent residence can apply for Thai nationality after five years. 

“This will be historic,” said Tammi Sharpe, UNHCR’s Representative in Thailand. “It would be the most dramatic reduction of statelessness the world has ever seen.” 

In a press release issued on Thursday, the UNHCR said the 484,000 people covered by the approved proposal are among nearly 600,000 individuals registered as stateless in Thailand, meaning that they are not legally recognised as nationals of any country. But their ties to Thailand are stronger than to any other country, and stateless people have for decades made substantial contributions to the economy and cultural diversity of Thailand, it said.

“The approved proposal will help unlock the full potential of their contribution to Thailand, as those granted nationality and permanent residence will be able to move freely within Thailand to seek educational and employment opportunities and meet Thailand’s dynamic labour needs,” it pointed out. “Without such status, stateless people in Thailand face challenges travelling to other provinces for employment opportunities.”

Under the approved proposal, processing times for nationality and permanent residence will be shortened, and the criteria streamlined. Applicants must demonstrate loyalty to Thailand, good conduct, including a clear criminal record, and not have any affiliation or evidence of nationality with any other country. The vast majority of the target population are individuals whose residence in Thailand was documented by Thai authorities between 1984 and 2011.

“The government is committed to granting citizenship to those who have lived in Thailand for decades and have contributed to society,” said government spokesman Jirayu Huangsap on Friday. “However, we will not compromise on our ethical standards and will conduct rigorous checks to ensure only deserving individuals are eligible.”