Beginning 1 October, Myanmar refugees living in camps along the Thai-Myanmar border will be allowed to work legally in Thailand under strict conditions, according to Thai officials and refugee representatives.
Under the new arrangement, only individuals who are granted official work permits will be allowed to leave their camps and only with authorization. Family members will not be permitted to accompany them, a restriction that has raised concerns among refugee leaders.
“When employers come to hire refugees, they sign a one-year work visa contract, and the refugees must commit to working for at least a year,” explained an official from one of the refugee camps.
Phichat Dawphan, Director-General of the Thai Department of Employment, confirmed that refugees must meet six conditions to be eligible for departure. These include health checks at government hospitals, purchase of health insurance, and the issuance of official work permits prior to employment.
Saw Bwe Say, secretary of the Karen Refugee Committee, voiced concerns about the separation of families caused by the policy.
“How will the refugees find it convenient? They’ve been living together in the camps for over 50 years, and now only one person will be allowed to leave,” he told Mizzima. “Family members worry about the individuals who leave, especially since the work is far from the camps and the employment period lasts for one year.”
According to the Karen Refugee Committee, around 12,000 of the 42,000 eligible refugees across nine camps have registered for the program. The camps are located in the Thai provinces of Mae Hong Son, Tak, Kanchanaburi, and Ratchaburi. Refugees are generally prohibited from leaving these camps without government approval.
“The list was gathered about a month and a half to two months ago. In the meantime, there is nothing from the refugee side – they just registered,” Saw Bwe Say added. “Starting 1 October, it’s unclear which day exactly the selection and processing of workers will begin.”
The employment process is being rolled out in phases. The first step of compiling a list of willing workers is currently ongoing. In early October, employers will begin selecting workers and submitting their names to provincial labour offices.
After that, selected workers will be taken to undergo health checks and receive health insurance. Employers will then request formal permission from the district administration office for workers to leave the camps. The province where the job is located must also be notified.
This move follows a labour shortage in Thailand after tens of thousands of Cambodian workers returned home due to a recent conflict between Thailand and Cambodian. On 26 August, the Thai government announced that it would begin allowing Myanmar refugees in the camps to fill labour gaps, with implementation starting on 1 October.
