Migrants’ Maternity Leave
URGENT PRESS RELEASE, 26 June 2012

On June the 25th, 2012, MCOT reported that the Minister of Labour is drafting legislation that will allow pregnant migrant women to return to their country of origin when they are three to four months pregnant. After giving birth, they can come back to Thailand to start working again.

This policy is being enacted following the release of the US State Department’s 2012 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report which placed Thailand on the watch list of Tier 2 for the third time running.

According to the MCOT, the Minister thought this policy would prevent trafficking of children.

Mekong Migration Network (MMN) congratulates the Thai government for extending the length of paid maternity leave for migrant women. We assume that migrant women will be entitled to 9 months paid maternity leave as they will be required to take maternity leave from the fourth month of pregnancy until 3 months after giving birth. We also expect the Thai government to provide free of charge appropriate transportation to their home and back to work in Thailand.

Or is it possible that Thailand is so desperate to appease the anti trafficking lobbyists, that it is sacrificing women’s fundamental rights by deporting pregnant women?

For inquiries, please contact:
Pranom Somwong: p_somwong@yahoo.com; +66 831887600
Jackie Pollock: jackie_pollock@yahoo.com; +66 860904118
Reiko Harima: reiko@mekongmigration.org; +852 93692244