According to a report from the Ministry of Labor under the military council, the overseas employment of basic workers has been indefinitely suspended due to the decreasing number of Myanmar nationals returning from abroad. Currently, only skilled workers and those under government-to-government (G to G) agreements are being permitted to work abroad after careful screening.
All overseas worker deployments were temporarily suspended starting February 14. Subsequently, only skilled workers and those under G to G arrangements have been allowed to proceed after screening by the Labor Ministry. Notably, the issuance of Overseas Worker Identification Cards (OWIC) has been completely halted for basic workers. These decisions are being implemented under the direct orders of military council leader Min Aung Hlaing, according to an insider from the Labor Ministry.
The military council appointed Chit Swe, former Myanmar Ambassador to Thailand, as Labor Minister on January 31, after which these restrictions on foreign employment were implemented. Currently, only skilled workers and those under G to G agreements are being allowed to travel to countries such as Japan, Russia, and Laos after screening. The military council claims these measures are necessary due to insufficient tax collection from Myanmar workers abroad and the low rate of return migration, which they say is causing a loss of human resources. The council has expressed concerns about population decline, citing various factors including overseas migration, casualties, and declining birth rates as reasons for implementing these restrictive policies.
