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. Currently, only skilled workers and those going abroad under government-to-government (G to G) agreements are being permitted after screening, sources from the ministry reported.
All foreign worker deployments were temporarily suspended starting February 14, after which the Labor Ministry began selectively approving only skilled workers and those under G to G arrangements. Notably, the issuance of Overseas Worker Identification Cards (OWIC), which are essential for foreign employment, has been temporarily suspended for basic workers. The ministry continues to process OWIC applications only for skilled workers and those under G to G programs.
This restrictive policy was implemented 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 for Laos are being personally screened and approved by the Labor Minister. The military council has cited several concerns, including insufficient foreign currency earnings from overseas workers, low numbers of returnees, resulting in human resource losses and labor shortages within the country.
During military council meetings, Min Aung Hlaing has expressed concerns about Myanmar’s declining population, attributing it to increased emigration for various reasons, fatalities, and declining birth rates. The regime has highlighted challenges in collecting expected foreign currency revenues from overseas workers and noted significant impacts on the domestic workforce. These restrictions reflect the military council’s attempt to control labor migration amid broader economic and demographic challenges, though their policies continue to face criticism for limiting economic opportunities for Myanmar’s workforce.
