26 February 2010
NTS Alert (Feb 2010 – Issue 2)
Abstract
In December 2009, 4,300 Laotian Hmongs in Thailand were involuntarily repatriated to Laos. Their status in Thailand has often been disputed, as some have officially been recognised by UNHCR as ‘refugees’, others are considered ‘economic migrants’ or ‘illegal migrants’ by Thailand and as a result, many of their children are ‘stateless’. The label they receive decides the treatment they get under national and international law. In our last alert, the aim was to better understand the issue of statelessness, why it occurs and what it means under international law. This alert aims to analyse the difference between stateless persons in their habitual residence and stateless persons on the move, explaining the many faces of statelessness within Southeast Asia.
Abstract
In December 2009, 4,300 Laotian Hmongs in Thailand were involuntarily repatriated to Laos. Their status in Thailand has often been disputed, as some have officially been recognised by UNHCR as ‘refugees’, others are considered ‘economic migrants’ or ‘illegal migrants’ by Thailand and as a result, many of their children are ‘stateless’. The label they receive decides the treatment they get under national and international law. In our last alert, the aim was to better understand the issue of statelessness, why it occurs and what it means under international law. This alert aims to analyse the difference between stateless persons in their habitual residence and stateless persons on the move, explaining the many faces of statelessness within Southeast Asia.
