Thailand must not return detained Uyghur refugees to China, say rights groups

A network of human rights organizations have called on the Thai government not to forcibly return two detained Uyghur refugees to China and to facilitate their resettlement in a third country.

In a joint statement, the Coalition for the Rights of Refugees and Stateless Persons (CRSP), Migrant Working Group (MWG) and Thailand Migration Reform Consortium (TMR) raised concerns about potential forced return to China of two Uyghur refugees detained at the Suan Phlu Immigration Dentetion Centre. The groups said that the two refugees have been detained since 2014 and were moved to immigration detention from prison on 21 October. They have told their legal representatives they do not consent to return to China, but their representatives have not been allowed to see them since their transfer.

The groups noted that, days after the two were moved to immigration detention, the Chinese ambassador to Thailand met the Secretary-General of the National Security Council (NSC). They are now concerned that the NSC may decide whether to return the two refugees to China in an upcoming meeting. They noted that a decision made by the NSC led to the deportation of 40 Uyghur refugees to China, and that none of the 40 refugees could be contacted to confirm their safety.

They call on the Thai government to stop the forced return to Uyghur refugees to China and to facilitate their resettlement in a third country in line with their wishes and that of the receiving country. The Thai government must allow legal representatives, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to access and protect the Uyghur refugees held in immigration detention. It must also respect the free and informed decisions of the two Uyghur refugees.

The full statement reads:

Joint Statement: Thailand Must Not Return Uyghur Refugees to China and Must Respect Their Voluntary Choice to Travel to a Third Country

Coalition for the Rights of Refugees and Stateless Persons (CRSP), Migrant Working Group (MWG) and Thailand Migration Reform Consortium (TMR) call on the Royal Thai Government to uphold the principle of non-refoulement and respect the wishes of two Uyghur refugees seeking resettlement in a third country.

The two Uyghur refugees have been detained in Thailand since 2014. One of them has been held since childhood. Following a royal pardon, authorities moved both from prison to the Immigration Detention Centre (Suan Phlu) of the Immigration Bureau on 21 October 2026, where they await deportation. Both have told their legal representatives that they do not consent to return to China. Since the transfer, however, their legal representatives have not been allowed to see them. On 27 October 2026, only days after the two were moved to the detention centre, the Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Thailand met the Secretary-General of the National Security Council. Our networks are therefore deeply concerned that the two refugees face a real risk of forced return.

We are concerned that an upcoming meeting of the National Security Council may include an agenda item to decide the fate of these Uyghur refugees. This is what happened on 27 February 2025, when a National Security Council decision led to the return of 40 Uyghur refugees from the same detention centre to the People's Republic of China. To this day, no one has been able to contact any of the 40 to confirm their fate and safety. On 28 October 2025, after investigating the case, the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand found that returning the 40 Uyghur refugees to the People's Republic of China, despite reasonable grounds to believe they would be in danger, was a human rights violation. It breached the principle of non-refoulement, Article 3 of the Convention against Torture (CAT) and Section 13 of the Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act B.E. 2565 (2022). The Commission also recommended that the Government and the National Security Council review the return of the remaining five Uyghur refugees, including these two, taking into account the principle of non-refoulement, domestic law and relevant conventions, and a careful and comprehensive assessment of the situation, including the situation of the Uyghurs already returned.

The Government already has a legal channel. Clause 8 of the Prime Minister's Office Regulation on Deportation B.E. 2569 (2026) allows a third country or an international organisation to request the transfer of a person at risk of torture or enforced disappearance, with that person's written consent.

We call on the Royal Thai Government to:
1. Stop the forced return of Uyghur refugees to the People's Republic of China.
2. Immediately allow legal representatives, the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to access and protect the Uyghur refugees held at the Immigration Detention Centre, Immigration Bureau.
3. Respect the free and informed decisions of the two Uyghur refugees.
4. Facilitate the resettlement of the Uyghur refugees in a third country, in line with the wishes of the refugees and the receiving country.

Yours sincerely,
Coalition for the Rights of Refugees and Stateless Persons (CRSP), Migrant Working Group (MWG) and Thailand Migration Reform Consortium (TMR)

• News

• Uyghur
• refugees
• non-refoulement
• China
• Suan Phlu immigration centre
• Coalition for the Rights of Refugees and Stateless Persons (CRRSP)
• Migrant Working Group (MWG)
• Thailand Migration Reform Consortium

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