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 permitted after careful screening.
Starting from February 14, all foreign worker deployments were temporarily suspended. Subsequently, the Labor Ministry has been selectively 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 been temporarily suspended for all basic workers.
This restriction on foreign employment came after Min Aung Hlaing appointed Chit Swe, former Myanmar Ambassador to Thailand, as Labor Minister on January 31. Currently, only skilled workers bound for Japan and Russia, and workers under government-to-government arrangements for Laos are being personally screened and approved by the Labor Minister. The military council claims these restrictions are due to low foreign currency earnings from overseas workers and minimal returns of Myanmar nationals to the country, resulting in human resource losses.
The military council has cited various reasons for these restrictions, including declining population numbers in Myanmar due to increased emigration, deaths, and falling birth rates. They have expressed concern about the loss of workforce and human resources, particularly noting that overseas Myanmar workers are not contributing sufficient foreign currency earnings to the country. At a military council meeting in Naypyidaw on February 11, Min Aung Hlaing specifically mentioned the foreign currency difficulties facing Myanmar and the inadequate collection of foreign currency from overseas workers. Additionally, at another council meeting on January 17, he highlighted concerns about population decline, attributing it to various factors including overseas migration, deaths, and decreased birth rates, which he claimed has led to domestic labor shortages.
