The military council has indefinitely suspended foreign employment permissions for basic workers due to low rates of Myanmar nationals returning from abroad, according to the Ministry of Labor in Naypyidaw. During this suspension period, only skilled workers and those going abroad under government-to-government agreements are being screened and permitted to leave.
Starting from February 14, all foreign worker deployments were temporarily suspended. Subsequently, the Labor Ministry has been screening and approving only skilled workers and those under government-to-government arrangements. Notably, the issuance of Overseas Worker Identification Cards (OWIC), which is essential for foreign employment, has also been temporarily suspended for basic workers.
This restriction on foreign worker deployments came after Min Aung Hlaing, the military council leader, appointed Chit Swe, the former Myanmar ambassador to Thailand, as Labor Minister on January 31. Currently, only skilled workers and those under government-to-government agreements heading to Japan, Russia, and Laos are being directly screened and approved for departure by the Labor Minister.
The military council has implemented these restrictions citing various reasons, including low foreign currency earnings from overseas workers, low rates of return migration, and resulting human resource losses. Additionally, they have used declining population numbers and labor shortages as justification for limiting foreign employment permissions. These restrictions reflect the military council’s attempt to control labor migration while facing multiple challenges in managing the country’s workforce and economy.
