Thousands of Christian refugees from Pakistan detained in Thailand for 'illegal immigration'

Thousands of Christian refugees from Pakistan who fled persecution in their home country have been arrested and are being detained in Thailand despite identifying themselves as asylum seekers registered with the United Nations.

An investigation by the BBC found that Thailand had arrested and detained the asylum seekers on illegal immigration charges. Many of them are Pakistani Christian refugees, and some are children.

The Pakistani Christians had chosen Thailand as their destination because it is one of their nearest options, and they believed they could secure a tourist visa for the southeast Asian country more easily. Unfortunately, Thailand does not welcome asylum seekers and it has not signed with the United Nations Refugee Convention. For this reason, people with no valid visa or work permit are able to be arrested and detained for illegal immigration, the report explains.

Out of all the ASEAN member states, only Cambodia and the Philippines have signed with the UN Refugee Convention, The Diplomat reports.

Pastor Joshua, one of the refugees, said he and his sister were punished for abandoning Islam and embracing Christianity.

"My bone was broken - the one right above the heart. And they tried to cut my arm off," said Pastor Joshua. "My sister was murdered; she was burned alive, just because she spoke the word 'God.' They hate the word 'God' so much. She was burned for this reason alone."

The UN refugee agency UNHCR has now been allowed to investigate the refugees' claims of persecution to determine if they will be repatriated or relocated to another destination. But many of the detained families say they have been waiting for years for the UN to assess them, and they cannot work, study, or avail of healthcare services in Thailand.

While waiting for the UN's decision, the thousands of Pakistani Christian refugees are staying temporarily in rooms in tower blocks outside Bangkok. They rely on charity for their rent and food. Every now and then, police reportedly arrest people from the blocks, charge them will illegal immigration, impose a fine on them, and lock them up at the Immigration Detention Center.

The Thai government is complaining that the UN's slow process is affecting the country's security, and some immigrants are feared to be involved in terrorism, so they have to arrest illegal immigrants. Those detained can only get out of detention with the help of local charities who will pay for their bail, which costs around US$1,250 per person.

The UNHCR told the BBC that it is cooperating with the Thai government to find better ways to manage the situation of the Pakistani Christian refugees in a way that will conform to international standards.