The Thai government has worked to reduce statelessness in recent years — more than 27,000 stateless people have been granted Thai citizenship since 2011, according to UNHCR. Just this February, the government held a group ceremony granting citizenship to 342 stateless people, most of them students.

On Wednesday, the boys were among 30 stateless people granted Thai rights.

16-year-old Ponchai Khamluang is granted Thai citizenship, along with two other boys and the coach of the Wild Boar soccer team.

After the team was rescued from the cave, the officials had promised to start the process of granting the stateless boys Thai citizenship.

During the ceremony, they were handed Thai ID cards, which grants them access to public services such as healthcare and freedom of movement.

Members of the Wild Boars soccer team at a ceremony to mark the end of their retreat as novice Buddhist monks.

After the dramatic rescue, the team spent about a week in the hospital, where they were carefully monitored for possible infections or pneumonia. Upon their release, the team recounted their ordeal and thanked their rescuers at a press conference, wearing matching Wild Boars team shirts.

Twelve of the thirteen members then spent a week as Buddhist novices at a monastery, and are returning to normal life in their small town surrounded by friends and family.

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