Thailand Grants Work Rights to Myanmar Refugees

A 76-year-old woman from Myanmar travelled alone to Thailand and works as a shrimp peeler in Rangong. (file)

A new resolution by the Thai Government that allows long-staying refugees from Myanmar to work legally in the country was welcomed on Tuesday by the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, as a significant boost to the national economy.

Some 81,000 forcibly displaced people are hosted in temporary shelters along the Thai-Myanmar border, where they have been living for decades.

Nearly half of the refugee population were born in the camps, where displaced families have largely depended on humanitarian assistance.

Over a million Rohingya, a mostly Muslim minority from Myanmar, have fled conflict and persecution in multiple waves of displacement.

Monday marked eight years since the mass exodus of Rohingya from Myanmar’s Rakhine state, and the UN called for greater international solidarity over their plight.

UNHCR’s Representative in Thailand, Tammi Sharpe, described the Government’s decision as a major “turning point.”

She said it would not only help refugees support themselves but also benefit local economies and strengthen Thailand’s long-term growth.

“By unlocking the potential of these individuals, Thailand is not only upholding humanitarian principles but also making a strategic investment in its own future,” Ms. Sharpe said.

Although the new resolution covers a limited number of refugees, the UN agency said it would continue to advocate for wider refugee inclusion, offering support to the Thai Government in rolling out the new policy.

The move comes at a time when aid budgets for displaced people worldwide are facing severe cuts.

For the UN agency, Thailand’s initiative could set a regional precedent for sustainable, rights-based refugee policies – and serve as a model for countries facing similar challenges, UNHCR said.

According to the agency, $25.4 million will be needed in 2025 to sustain operations covered by the Thailand-based international office, which also oversees work in Cambodia, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, and Viet Nam.