Filling the service gap for undocumented migrants in a province of Thailand bordering with Myanmar 30.11.2022

Local health authorities providing COVID-19 antigen testing for migrants outside the temporary detention centre. Photo: Malaria Free Mekong - ALIGHT

Since the political instability in Myanmar, there has been high population movement on the border with Thailand. Despite COVID-19 measures and border closure, people have tried to enter Thailand to seek jobs and personal security. In early 2022, Kanchanaburi, a province of Thailand on the border with Myanmar, faced a surge of undocumented border crossers. Many of them had travelled through the forest for between one and three weeks to reach the Thai border in Sai Yok and Thong Pha Phum districts.

ALIGHT, one of the sub-recipients of the Asia Regional Health Cluster (ARHC), has shared stories of migrants who were detained for being undocumented. It was reported that all detainees were tested for COVID-19 and put in quarantine for 14 days before starting the legal and administrative process. Those who tested positive had to stay longer to complete the legal and administrative process. 

Due to the high influx of migrants, the Kanchanaburi health and police authorities arranged a temporary detention centre for approximately 200 migrants to provide COVID-19 testing and treatment. As a temporary centre, the local authority’s funding was limited to providing food, hygiene and sanitation activities and did not extend to health-related activities other than COVID-19 prevention and management.

Malaria Free Mekong, a CSO platform of civil society and communities, which is operated by ALIGHT, works closely with communities and non-governmental organizations to identify best practices, bottlenecks and challenges, and to support the community in facilitating, advocating and filling gaps during the implementation of the Global Fund RAI3E grant in five Greater Mekong Subregion countries: Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam. 

With the high population migration, it has become critical to provide malaria and other health services. Malaria Free Mekong has coordinated with ALIGHT Thailand’s local team and the Thai authorities to provide malaria testing and prevention, as well as activities to boost detainees' mental health.

The ALIGHT team conducted malaria screening and coordinated with Malaria Post staff for testing high-risk people. Two malaria-positive cases were found in the detention centre. The ALIGHT team also conducted a treatment follow-up process for the first five days until the cases were sent for legal processing.

Besides malaria testing and prevention sessions, psychosocial activities and physical exercise for migrants were conducted on a weekly basis to keep them mentally and physically healthy and boost their morale.  

The support activities for undocumented migrants were possible due to multisectoral collaboration between Malaria Free Mekong, the ALIGHT Thailand team, local authorities and the migrant network in the province, and provide an example of collaboration in response to special circumstances.