Thailand’s Commitment to Accelerating Citizenship Granting
A Step Toward Dignity and Inclusion for Stateless Persons
Date: 4 November 2024
Issued by: Nationality for All (NFA), Statelessness and Dignified Citizenship Coalition – Asia Pacific (SDCC-AP), and the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Thailand
Nationality for All (NFA), the Statelessness and Dignified Citizenship Coalition – Asia Pacific (SDCC-AP), and ADRA Thailand commend the Government of Thailand’s groundbreaking decision to accelerate the process of granting citizenship and legal status to approximately 480,000 long-term residents.
Announced on 4 November 2024, this transformative measure drastically reduces the processing time for citizenship determination from 270 days to just 5 days, through streamlined verification, decentralised approval between central and provincial authorities, and simplified documentation requirements. These reforms are expected to take effect within the next 30 to 60 daysThailand-Joint-Statement-1.
A Transformative Step Toward Inclusion
This policy shift brings long-awaited hope to hundreds of thousands of stateless persons in Thailand, many of whom have lived in legal limbo for decades. According to the Ministry of Interior, there are over 590,000 registered stateless individuals in the country, most belonging to marginalised ethnic groups, highlanders, and children of migrant workers.
For these individuals, citizenship is more than a legal status, it represents identity, belonging, and access to fundamental human rights such as education, healthcare, employment, and social protection. This decision marks a historic advancement in Thailand’s ongoing efforts to uphold equality and human dignity for all who call the country home.
A Regional Milestone
As organisations working to promote justice, equality, and inclusion, ADRA, NFA, and SDCC-AP recognise Thailand’s leadership in addressing statelessness and reaffirm their support for the policy’s successful implementation.
While celebrating this milestone, the organisations also note that hundreds of thousands remain without recognition or documentation, and urge continued efforts to extend access to citizenship to all who remain stateless. In doing so, Thailand will not only strengthen the rights of individuals but also set a powerful regional precedent for inclusive governance and human rights-based reform.
Collective Commitment
Through ongoing collaboration with the Thai government, civil society partners, and affected communities, NFA and its partners are committed to ensuring that the benefits of this reform reach everyone it intends to serve.
This decision also reflects a growing global momentum toward resolving statelessness, a movement rooted in solidarity, justice, and shared humanity. As we celebrate this step forward, NFA, SDCC-AP, and ADRA Thailand remain steadfast in their advocacy to ensure that no one is left behind.
📄 Read the full joint statement: https://sdcc-ap.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Thailand-Joint-Statement-1.pdf
