Military Council Economic Minister Ko Ko Hlaing visited the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI) in Yangon on September 17th to meet with business owners. During the meeting, he pressured businesses to help reduce illegal migration of Myanmar youth and workers to foreign countries and create new job opportunities. However, according to a UMFCCI source, young people are leaving the country not due to lack of employment but to avoid the military service law – a fact the military council deliberately ignores while knowing the true reason.
Currently, as the military council blocks legal departures through Yangon and Mandalay airports, official migration routes have decreased while illegal border crossings have increased significantly. The Three Pagodas Pass-Kanchanaburi route has become the most frequently used illegal pathway, with 500-1,000 people crossing daily according to a border trader. Within Thailand, arrests of illegal Myanmar migrants have reached over 3,000 people per week according to Myanmar migrant worker rights advocates. On September 16th alone, 166 illegal Myanmar migrants were arrested in Kanchanaburi province.
The military council has completely banned foreign employment for males aged 18-35 who are eligible for military service. This has forced many young people to seek alternative routes out of the country, despite the risks. The situation is further complicated by the military council’s increased pressure on businesses to create domestic jobs while simultaneously implementing forced conscription policies and arbitrary arrests of civilians as porters across the country. This contradictory approach has only accelerated the exodus of youth through whatever means available, even as the dangers of illegal migration continue to rise.
