Labour policy delays spark surge in illegal crossings by Myanmar workers
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Hsu/ Pearl (NP News) - May 12
A prominent overseas employment agency owner suggested in The Statesman that instead of controlling official routes for sending Myanmar workers abroad, including to Japan, the Ministry of Labour should focus on regulating border routes.
Even though the Myanmar Embassy in Japan has screened and approved employment offer letters for dispatch, Ministry of Labour policies have delayed the deployment of workers to Japan, resulting in expired Japanese entry visas for some.
Despite collecting fees with the promise of employment in Thailand and Japan, the failure to send workers has led to an increase in complaints to the Ministry of Labour from January to April 2025 compared to the previous year.
"Currently, the number of complaints has increased. There are many disputes arising. Although money has been collected, workers who were supposed to be sent abroad have not been sent. Complaints from these workers to the Myanmar Overseas Employment Agencies Association are increasing daily. This year, complaints are much higher compared to last year. The exact number has not yet been calculated. Regarding Japan, the Myanmar embassy there has already sent job offers, but on this side, further processing is not allowed; it has been halted. The work permits in Japan used to last for three months, but now they have been extended to six months, yet the permits still expire. Employers on that side are no longer hiring. Because of these reasons, the number of complaints in just five months this year exceeds the total complaints of the entire last year," said a senior official from an overseas employment agency to The Statesman journal.
“They made a big deal out of the SOP procedures, even dedicating a full page in the newspaper, but those affected by the situation aren’t receiving any support by these SOP procedures. The SOP they’ve established doesn’t reflect the reality on the ground. If the country wants to keep workers at home due to labor shortages, that intention should be clearly stated in the policies. There’s no need to restrict the official channels-just focus on controlling the border routes; that’s the best solution. People have been traveling to other countries through Tachileik for a long time. When controls at Yangon Airport were tightened, people simply started going through Tachileik instead.” he continued.
Reports indicate that, due to past and ongoing restrictions by the Ministry of Labour, an increasing number of Myanmar workers are using illegal border crossings—such as through Tachileik—to reach foreign countries, with the trend becoming more widespread in recent times.—