Mawlamyine, March (18)
The human smugglers dump Myanmar migrant workers in the jungle after they illegally cross the border into Thailand, the volunteers who assist migrant workers told Than Lwin Times.
Since the military takeover, job opportunities in Myanmar have been scarce due to political unrest and armed conflict. As a result, migrant workers have been breaking the law by crossing the border illegally to work in Thailand with the help of people smugglers.
U Aung Kyaw, chairman of Migrant Workers’ Rights Network (MWRN), told the Than Lwin Times that illegal Myanmar migrant workers are subjected to suspicion and interrogation by Thai authorities while they are traveling and are detained, and some migrant workers are abandoned by people smugglers in jungle areas.
Thai authorities, on the other hand, continue to arrest Myanmar migrant workers who illegally crossed the border into Thailand on a daily basis.
According to those assisting migrant workers, during the military coup, more than 4,000 illegal Myanmar migrant workers entered Thailand every month, in addition to the workers who went to Thailand under the official MOU system.
“Currently, domestic job opportunities are scarce. Some of them sneaked in to work in Thailand, while others were arrested while trying to go to Malaysia through Thailand. It is not easy to know the exact number. From a long time ago, according to the overall analysis of all the various organizations, there were about 4,000 illegal immigrants every month,” said U Aung Kyaw.
The MWRN advises Myanmar migrant workers to enter Thailand only through official procedures due to high prices and security concerns.
Myanmar migrant workers who cross the border illegally find it difficult to find work in Thailand, hide from the authorities, and face arrest.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) announced on December 28 last year that, approximately 40,000 people leave Myanmar each month as a result of the country’s economic crisis and armed conflict following the military coup.
According to the IOM, around 40,000 people have left the country every month since last October due to a variety of reasons, including insecurity, the economic downturn, and the loss of livelihoods in Myanmar, with most of them going to work in Thailand.
News-Than Lwin Times