MOL joins force with multi-disciplinary teams (MDTs) in the training program for screening capacity improvement with an aim to upgrade to Tier 1 on TIP Report.
March 20, 2023. Mr. Boonchob Suthamanuswong, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour, presided over the opening ceremony of the training program to enhance capacity and skills for trafficking victims screening, in collaboration with the MDTs. Also present were representatives from Ministry of Interior, Royal Thai Police, Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (MSDHS), provincial labor officers, and provincial employment and welfare officers.
The U.S. Department of State 2022 Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP Report 2022) ranked Thailand at Tier 2. The Report’s recommendations include (1) train officials on and ensure effective implementation of new guidelines for the implementation of Section 6/1 of the Anti-trafficking Act 2551 and identification of labor trafficking victims and (2) increase awareness among relevant officials of less understood trafficking indicators, such as debt-based coercion, excessive overtime, confiscation of documents, and nonpayment of wages.
Thai Government has prioritized anti-human trafficking as a national agenda that includes elevating the protection and prevention standards against labor trafficking among Thai and foreign workers. The Ministry of Labour, as one of the leading agencies in the fight against human trafficking, therefore, organized this training for the 1st batch of officers to enhance their screening capacity and raise awareness on trafficking indicators.
According to Mr. Bunchob, Mr. Suchat Chomklin, Minister of Labour, had assigned nationwide MOL agencies to implement the Standards of Operation (SOP) for initial victim identification of labor trafficking and forced labor, as well as the action plan for the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) as a guideline for preventing and combating forced labor and labor trafficking. These efforts aim to meet the minimum standards of the U.S. Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA).
“Every MOL agency is ready to join hands with all sectors to drive the anti-human trafficking and anti-forced labor efforts in order for Thailand to meet the standards and be upgraded to Tier 1 in the future,” said Mr. Boonchob.
Source: https://www.matichon.co.th/local/quality-life/news_3882792
