Migration of Myanmar workers for overseas employment is a long-standing phenomenon, with several million Myanmar nationals estimated to be working in the region and further afield.
The key challenges to more Myanmar migrant workers using safer and more efficient migration channels include: high cost of travel and extended waiting periods during recruitment process; lack of publicity on the availability of regular channels; confiscation of personal documents by agents and employers; and other abuses related to poor working conditions and restrictions on freedom of movement in the destination countries.
IOM will work in close collaboration with the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security (MOLES) to implement an intervention with three overarching objectives: (1) To support effective management of labour migration at the national level, (2) To improve the proportion of cross-border labour migrants using regular migration channels, and (3) To improve the knowledge base on labour migration in Myanmar. Key activities at the national level will include capacity-building workshops and seminars on prioritized policy options, awareness-raising sessions on labour migration at the sub-national levels, and procurement of technology and equipment. IOM will also work with MOLES to establish and operationalize 3 Migrant Resources Centres (MRCs) and produce a research report containing findings on a priority policy area where data is presently not available.