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 (G to G) agreements are being permitted after careful screening.
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 G to G arrangements. Notably, the issuance of Overseas Worker Identification Cards (OWIC), which is essential for foreign employment, has been temporarily suspended for all basic workers.
This restriction on foreign worker deployments came after Military Council leader Min Aung Hlaing appointed former Myanmar Ambassador to Thailand Chit Swe as Labor Minister on January 31. Currently, only skilled workers bound for Japan and Russia, and workers under G to G arrangements heading to Laos are being personally screened and approved by the Labor Minister for departure.
The military council claims these restrictions are due to low foreign currency earnings from overseas Myanmar workers and their low rate of return to the country, which they say is causing a loss of human resources. Additionally, the council states that Myanmar’s population decline is attributed to increased emigration, higher mortality rates, and declining birth rates, leading to domestic labor shortages. The military council has expressed concerns about these demographic changes and their impact on the country’s workforce availability.
