Development of legal personal status of stateless students at the University of Phayao
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Abstract
Access to nationality is an important matter for individuals, because it will enable that person to be recognized and have access to the legal rights of the state as a national. If students studying at university are limited by their personal status, they will lose the opportunity to develop a good life. This research examines the problems and approaches to developing the legal status of students currently studying at the University of Phayao. It was found that in 2023, Phayao University had 36 stateless students studying, which can be classified into the following groups: groups that have already obtained Thai nationality, groups awaiting approval to register as Thai nationals, groups that filed petitions and were rejected because they were not born in Thailand, and the group that is in the process of submitting a request for Thai nationality registration. Stateless students born in Thailand will be able to apply for Thai nationality upon completion of their bachelor’s degree from the University of Phayao. However stateless students who were not born in Thailand must first apply for residency in Thailand in order to be able to develop their status in the next step. A major problem in developing legal personal status is the lack of evidence to confirm the student’s place of birth as being born in Thailand, which is important evidence that to consider granting Thai nationality rights. The researcher recommends that, the universities should support both in terms of creating legal knowledge, and understanding of human rights in university society. There is also a process for monitoring and coordinating with government agencies both while students are studying and after graduation.
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References
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