Bangkok: The Thai government has reversed a yearslong ban to allow Myanmar refugees to work. Aid agencies have welcomed the move, which comes amid US aid cuts and a potential shortage of cheap labor in Thailand.
According to Deutsche Welle, the Thai government recently lifted a decades-long ban on working rights for long-term refugees from Myanmar who live in Thailand in a string of nine camps near the border between the two countries. Some have been there since the 1980s. This decision comes as the United States, under President Donald Trump, has cut off humanitarian aid programs around the world. Until this year, the US was the largest funder of food aid for the displaced people in the Thai camps.
The Thai government announced a resolution last week to address the foreign aid cuts, stating that "the cabinet has made approval to grant special permission for this group of refugees to stay and work in the country to support themselves and their families." The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) welcomed the move, noting that although the resolution only applied to a limited number of refugees, it could set a "regional benchmark" for a "rights-based refugee solution." The resolution currently applies to around 80,000 long-term refugees from Myanmar, but the UNHCR plans to advocate for its expansion to all refugees.
For years, aid and advocacy groups have been urging the Thai government to give refugees working rights, arguing that this would allow them more self-sufficiency and economic participation. The Thai camps, established in the 1980s, are still composed of basic huts made of bamboo, wood, and thatch, with limited access to electricity or running water. With restricted education and work opportunities, most people rely on foreign aid to sustain themselves.
In response to the policy shift, UNHCR representative for Thailand, Tammi Sharpe, described it as a "turning point" that would allow refugees to support themselves and stimulate the local economy. TBC executive director, Leon de Riedmatten, praised the government's decision, calling it "a very positive decision" and highlighting the lack of alternative donors to replace American aid. A TBC nutrition survey earlier this year showed rising chronic malnutrition rates among children in the camps since 2022. Plans for providing healthcare to refugees are also underway, with Darren Hertz, country director for the International Rescue Committee (IRC), emphasizing the importance of health insurance to ensure sustained good health for the population.
De Riedmatten noted that the decision might have been influenced by a sharp decline in Thailand's migrant labor force. According to Thailand's Ministry of Labor, approximately 900,000 Cambodian migrant workers returned home following a border dispute in July, leaving a significant gap in the labor market. Ruttiya Bhula-or, an associate professor and labor economist at Chulalongkorn University, suggested that refugees could help fill some of the labor shortages, particularly in "3D jobs" (dirty, difficult, or dangerous). However, she noted that the refugees might not be fully suited for the roles previously filled by Cambodian workers.
Refugees like Eh Khu Moo, who fled Myanmar in 2005, expressed optimism about the new opportunities to work legally outside the camps. Tun, a camp official, reported that many younger refugees are eager to embrace the new work rights, seeing it as a lifeline after spending most of their lives confined to the camps. The decision offers a glimpse of freedom and a chance for a brighter future for the refugees.