The Interior Ministry has found that 28% of stateless students were qualified to get Thai citizenship. Those who were eligible could check their eligibility and file petitions to receive citizenship at their local registration office.
Krissada Boonrat, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of the Interior, said on Saturday, 12 March 2016, that there are 69,670 stateless students across the country. Of 45,250 children whose background the Ministry has scrutinized, 19,794 were eligible for Thai citizenship, a Thai government website reported.
He said this is part of the project to grant citizenship to stateless children who are eligible for Thai citizenship. The project started in January 2015.
Local registration offices will contact those who are eligible to file petitions for citizenship. Currently there are 8,729 petitions in process. The Ministry has recently approved 5,563 petitions.
The Permanent Secretary added that 523 of the 8,729 are royally funded students.
Students at an education centre in Maha Chai Subdistrict, Mueang District, Samut Sakhon Province. (File photo).
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