The Ever Changing Goal Posts -Part 3
Can you imagine…
being born in a country, raised and educated in that country for your whole life, and not being recognized as a citizen of that country…
It is so hard for so many of us to fully comprehend what this must feel like, when an entire society allows you to live in it, but doesn’t consider you a part of it, you speak the language and understand the culture, but you have limited to no rights in that society….That is so unbelievable to many of us, yet it is a harsh reality for the hundreds of thousands of stateless people of Thailand… including our beautiful Olivia, Mercy, and Grace…
These girls have known Thailand as home their entire lives, but are considered stateless in this country. They are permitted to live and go to school here, but are not considered Thai by the government. There is an undercurrent of racism against anyone not considered 100% pure Thai. These girls can’t travel as freely as foreign visitors can. Travelling anywhere outside of where the stateless ID was issued requires special permission. Depending on the stateless ID card numbers, which vary drastically, they may not even be allowed to get a Thai driving license. Foreigners residing, retired, or working in Thailand can travel freely in and out of this country, and can apply for a local driving license. Some are granted Thai Nationality after graduating from University, and higher education has always been our goal for these girls to give them that opportunity. That is still several years away as they are finishing the homeschool program to get an American High School diploma first, a door to a better university acceptance. We know many of you have been praying and standing with us in this situation, for sharing in our hope that the girls are granted full Thai Citizenship. We are so grateful for your support. We have been praying and hoping since the day these beauties joined our family for a door to open, if even by the smallest crack. That door has cracked open, and we need to do everything in our power to push through that door. Thank you for your continued prayers and support.
Here’s a detailed update about what’s been going on:
Recently, the Thai government vowed on the world stage to end statelessness, and last month, new laws came into effect, opening up a door for stateless people to apply for citizenship, or so it seemed.
According to what was stated by the Federal Government, these girls should be eligible to apply for citizenship, and each application must be submitted at the district office where the stateless ID card was originally issued. Well, you would think it’d be that easy, Right? The Thai government stated that anyone abandoned for a least 10 years in Thailand ( which applies to these girls) and even those without certain documentation could apply. Sadly, the local district offices don’t necessarily do what they are supposed to do, despite any laws the federal government implements. That’s the way it works in Thailand! With the help of some amazing friends, we are trying to assist the girls in applying, but to date, all attempts have been thwarted and stalled by local district officials. They ask for new or different documentation on each visit, which wasn’t asked for the 1st time, and shouldn’t be needed, based on the federal government announcement. Some of this documentation is possible to get, and some is impossible to get, due to the orphaned and abandoned status of the girls. Even when the girls return with a document previously asked for, a different district official says it’s not valid, and back we go to square one.
We will not give up, and we will move forward to help these girls as long as the road ahead may be. We appreciate your continued support and ongoing prayers for the miracle of citizenship for Olivia, Mercy, and Grace.
Would you kindly consider giving to World Wide Life Humanitarian Partnership Society to help support these girls and their dreams for the future!
https://www.humanitarianpartnership.com/donate
