One of our Families told us that some Landlords have Unique ways of making sure the residents pay their rents on time. It is quite shocking, but Thailand has no laws and regulations on Landlords and Renters have no rights, either, so it explains it all.
Reality is that Refugees cannot work legally but they must pay their rent on time. Regardless of their situation.
Refugees must try to find work where they can. Working illegally is risky, but they have to eat. Problem is that the people they work for – might not feel like paying them and they have nowhere to go and complain about it. Illegals have no human rights, but they do have obligations to keep roof over their kids heads and somehow feed their families.
Either they work illegally or beg money from other poor Refugees or from their equally poor relatives. The well to do -relatives, in other countries, soon resent them for asking for help. The relatives might help them sometimes but soon get tired of it and cut them off. There is no loyalty or real help anywhere. Sometimes employers report Refugees to police, and they go to jail. Landlords do the same. There is no winning for Refugees.
Refugees are always between the Rock and the Hard Place. There is nothing easy about being Refugee !
This one specific Landlord would lock the door from the outside so the Renter could not get out of his room. The Renters are banging on inside and, he tells them the door opens when he gets the money! You might think this method is very effective but just for one minute: Imagine – living like that
Other method he used …if Renter leaves the building – The landlord goes and locks the door from the outside, again. This time the Father cannot get back into his apartment. Family is locked inside, and Father is locked outside.
There is terror on each Refugee family’s heart each month, as they try to figure out how to get the money to pay rent for that month.
One of our Families just called and told their story:
” For 10 years we have lived in fear of losing our Rental place. We never have guarantee of getting the rent money. It is such a fear in our hearts. When ‘ Hearts and Hands for Refugees Canada” promised to help us- we cried. We could not believe it. How could anything good happen to us? We have suffered so much. But now -something has changed in our hearts. We realized the fear is gone. We finally feel we can breathe a little. We can relax. Thank you, for standing with us. We can call you. We can talk to you. We can text you and we feel like we finally have someone who understands and is able to help us. Thank you, so much “
