Getting a passport has become a major obstacle for young individuals of Chin ethnicity who aspire to travel abroad for work, primarily due to the shortage of employment prospects within the country.

Young Chin individuals aspiring to work abroad are required to travel from the remote Chin Hills to Yangon, navigating through cumbersome processes to obtain a passport. In some cases, they even have to journey to border areas such as Myawaddy and Kawthaung to complete their passport application.

"People applying for a passport to work abroad often need to stay in Yangon for an extended period. If they manage to secure a passport quickly, which is rare, they can head abroad in a short time. However in most cases, they typically have to spend four to six months in Yangon”, a job placement agent for oversea employment told CW.

Young individuals aspiring to work in countries like Singapore, known for recruiting skilled workers, must enroll in relevant professional courses first, which can take approximately a year to complete, as part of their preparations.

The majority of Chin individuals aspiring to work abroad are young women, and they are particularly enthusiastic about opportunities as housemaids, primarily in Oman and Malaysia.

A passport office was set up in Hakha Township in Chin State, yet it is temporarily shuttered. In Yangon, the wait to secure a QR token for passport applications is unreasonably prolonged. This situation forces many young Chin individuals in pursuit of passports to journey to farther regions to expedite their application processes.