Thailand commits to policy of not detaining migrant children

BANGKOK – Advocates for the protection of refugees and asylum seekers are lauding a commitment by Thailand to release children held in its immigration detention centers.

The UN Refugee Agency, or UNHCR, says Thai government ministries involved with the issue signed a memorandum of understanding Monday providing a framework to meet a 2016 pledge by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha to end the practice of detaining migrant children.

The document is an agreement in principle and does not specify the ways and means of taking care of such children.

The UNHCR and international and Thai advocacy groups are urging Thailand to take the commitment a step further and release mothers with their children in order not to separate families./gsg