The Cambodian Ministry of Labour has granted 40 recruitment agencies the authority to send migrant workers to Thailand and provide all necessary permits and documents for a flat fee of USD 49, reports cambodiadaily.com.

More than 240,000 Cambodian migrant workers, mostly undocumented, fled Thailand this month, fearing a crackdown on illegal workers by the Thai military. The government last week reduced the price of passports for migrants from USD 124 to USD 4 to encourage workers to return to work legally.

Under the agreement, the agencies will set a fixed price of USD 49 for workers to obtain the permits and documents necessary to re-enter Thailand’s workforce. The price will also include transportation and even food for the journey, Labour Minister Ith Sam Heng said.

“The cost includes USD 4 for a passport, USD 10 for the ministry providing legal certification to work in Thailand, USD 20 for a Thai work visa paid to the Thai Embassy, USD 10 for transportation, and USD 5 for food during travel,” he explained.

Mr Sam Heng said the agreement would help expedite the return of workers to Thailand, adding that only legitimate companies would be approved to offer the service: “The ministry will require recruitment companies to share all the relevant information relating to workers and their Thai companies with the Ministry of Labour.”

Before passports and working visas are processed, all workers must, either independently or through an agency, receive contracts from licensed Thai companies that clearly state working conditions and wages in line with Thai law.

The new policy will not mitigate every potential problem, Mr Sam Heng admitted, but if managed correctly it would greatly reduce the risk of Cambodian workers’ rights being abused because they would be employed legally: “If we apply this correctly, it will help reduce havoc and make workers safer.”

Pich Vanna, Chief of the Cambodia-Thai Border Relations office, said more than 240,000 workers had fled Thailand as of Tuesday, while only about 10,000 had made the trip in the opposite direction: “This is a good policy the government has set up,” he said, adding that the prohibitive cost of passports and work permits forced many Cambodians to cross into Thailand illegally, often into exploitative jobs.

“Before when they went to work there, many were sent to work on islands and did not get paid. Others were arrested and [jailed],” he added.

However, Naly Pilorge, Director of local rights group Licadho, questioned the government’s decision to give recruitment agencies, many of which have poor human rights records and have been accused of sending workers into abusive situations, broad control over the process of migrating to Thailand: “Given the government’s inability at regulating this sector in the past and dealing with gross abuses committed by recruiting agencies, it’s a very worrying move,” she said.