The Ministry of Labour announced on Wednesday it will delay issuing passports to migrant workers to legally work in Thailand until August at the request of Thai officials.

Minister Ith Samheng said workers will be able to obtain their legal documents at One Stop Service or at any of Thailand’s 77 Labour Department locations beginning August 1.

A fee will be posted at the related locations on that date, he said. The fee will be set by officials in Cambodia and Thailand.

The many workers who cross into Thailand illegally for work often face harassment and even extortion at the hands of authorities, advocates say.

Sam Chet, a police chief of Banteay Meanchey province, said there are still many Cambodian illegal workers being deported back to the Kingdom from Thailand.

Immigration officials in Poipet in 2015 reported a total of 67,087 deported Cambodian workers, police said.