Flooding in Thailand Impacts Thousands of Migrants The BWI expresses its solidarity with the hundreds of thousands of workers

and t heir families across Thailand who has been affected by the most recent floods to have hit the country, the worst in over 70 years. While the floods affects all people in Thailand, undoubtedly those hit the harde st are the people who do not have access to social support networks and often li ve in temporary and precarious accommodation. Migrant workers have been the most deeply impacted by the current flooding. When the homes, factories and worksite s of migrant workers are hit by the floods there is often nowhere for them to tu rn, and returning home is difficult, dangerous or costly. Current estimates of the damage from the flooding include more than 9,000 factor ies inundated with water and 660,000 jobs at risk. Approximately 200,000 migrant workers from Burma, Laos and Cambodia in flood stricken areas have been badly a ffected and many more are expected to be affected as the flood water reaches oth er Districts of Bangkok. Currently only 250 Burmese migrant workers are living i n shelters in the Greater Bangkok area, while reports from border areas of Thail and cite thousands of workers returning to Burma every day, with more than 10,00 0 returning in one day on October 29. Compounding the difficulties migrant workers are facing from the flooding, as th ey flee the rising flood waters there is the always present danger of being arre sted by police for being found outside of the geographic areas specified in thei r work permits. In addition, there are reports that migrant workers returning to Burma have also faced extortion from military and militia groups trying to capi talise on the misery and suffering of their countrymen. Thai immigration officia ls also are reportedly profiting greatly at this time and the Thai government ha s not introduced flexible measures to ease suffering of returning migrants. The BWI calls on the Thai government, civil society groups, and trade unions to provide much needed support and assistance to the at-risk migrant worker communi ties in Thailand. Relief in the way of water, food, accommodation and access to employment and income generating activities is difficult to access and insuffici ent. However, with concerted efforts from the trade union movement to utilise th eir networks and reach out to communities we can ensure that the suffering of mi grants and others affected by the flooding is eased. The BWI supports the current efforts by some trade union organisations to assist migrant worker communities and is providing support to some of the most affecte d. The BWI also call on the Thai Government to urgently prioritise creation of a cl ear policy to ensure protection of migrant flood victims, whatever they choose t o do in their precarious situation.