FILE PHOTO: Cambodian workers cross into Thailand at the Doung International Checkpoint in Battambang province's Kamrieng district. - PP/ANN
PHNOM PENH: Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said on Saturday (June 14) that his government is fully prepared to deal with any mass return of Cambodian migrant workers from Thailand as border tensions have mounted.
"In case of a large-scale return, due to any reason, of our Cambodian workers from Thailand, the government has already prepared all necessary measures to manage the situation," he said in a post on his official social media platforms.
He said ministries and concerned institutions, all kinds of armed forces and authorities in all seven Thai border provinces are getting ready to facilitate border crossing, temporary accommodation, and meals for returnees in border areas.
He added that the ministry of national defence, the army,and the Phnom Penh Municipality have prepared transportation to facilitate the return of migrant workers to their home provinces.
Hun Manet added that the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training is ready to help them find jobs in the country, as about 70,000 vacancies remain in various industries across the country.
He said the ministry of economy and finance is working with relevant ministries and institutions to develop a social and economic aid package to ease the financial burden for them.
He also urged the Association of Banks in Cambodia and the Cambodia Microfinance Association to consider debt relief options for returnees.
Meanwhile, Senate President Samdech Techo Hun Sen, who is also president of the ruling Cambodian People's Party, urged Cambodian migrant workers in Thailand to return home.
Border tensions between Cambodia and Thailand have recently mounted after soldiers of the two countries briefly exchanged gunfire in a disputed border area on May 28, resulting in the death of a Cambodian soldier. - Xinhua
