In 1996 the migrant registration process was initiated, and has changed nearly every year. The registration schemes have failed to attract a significant number of workers and employers, for example in 2003 only 288,780 eligible migrant workers held a work permit in Thailand. Under past migrant worker registration schemes, employers hold the work permit and give workers a photocopy that is legally useless, meaning many workers had no access to health care, were subject to deportation as their photocopy is invalid, and are subsequently subject to extortion and harassment by officials. Additionally, workers are generally unaware of the procedures and possible benefits of a work permit as information is in Thai and there are insufficient non-governmental organisations (NGO) and trade unions informing workers. Further, those that do operate have difficulty accessing workers. On the official side, Thai civil servants implementing registration schemes and promoting labour rights have no knowledge of Burmese languages, or interpreters, so information on workers’ rights and labour law reaches few migrant workers.