BANGKOK, March 11 (TNA) – Thailand’s Ministry of Justice has joined forces with seven other agencies to help those with registration status issues and stateless persons.
The agencies signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to streamline efforts in providing basic rights to these vulnerable groups.
The MOU aims to establish a unified approach among the agencies to ensure that they receive the fundamental rights they are entitled to under the law.
As part of the initiative, 23 people with registration status issues and stateless individuals received national identification cards.
The agencies involved in the MOU include the Department of Rights and Liberties Protection, the Department of Special Investigation, the Department of Juvenile Observation and Protection, the Central Institute of Forensic Science, the Department of Provincial Administration, the Office of the Basic Education Commission, and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.
The Justice Minister highlighted that there are nearly one million people born in Thailand without registration status, with 480,000 cases pending with the Ministry of Interior. He emphasized the need for a more efficient process to address these cases, which could otherwise take decades to resolve.
The collaborative effort aims to complete the process within two years, including the registration of newborns.
The Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Education will play key roles in providing free education for 15 years to those with a “G” identification card. However, access to free healthcare will require a “0” identification number.
In the 2025 fiscal year, 6,648 applicants with registration status issues and stateless persons have been processed, with 583 applicants receiving proper status in accordance with the law. – 819 (TNA)
