CNI News
26 July 2023
Those who have lost their passports in local have to wait six months, which makes difficulties for the people who will go abroad for work or for medical treatment, said the people who carry out for the affairs of workers, and oversea employment agencies to CNI News.
Those who have lost their passports in local have to announce that they have lost their passports in the State-owned newspapers with the recommendations of ward or village administrators and police stations concerned.
Then, six months after the newspaper in which the announcement has been described was published, one who has lost its passport has to go to Myanmar passport issuing offices with that newspaper and have to apply for a new passport after paying a total of 91,000 Kyats ( 35,000 Kyats for the book and 56,000 Kyats for lost/damaged fine).
People waiting in line to apply for passports
" Those who have lost their passports find it difficult. Youths who returned from Thailand apply for new passports because They did not get their passports fully stamped in Thailand. For example, job passport (PJ) holders might go abroad to receive medical treatment or to work. If they lost their passports, they would have to wait six months to apply for new passports. How many days does it take? You might not get a new passport just after six months? They will make appointments for QR code." said Daw Myat Hayman Lin, managing director of the Pwint Phu Aung Oversea Employment Agency to CNI News.
Myanmar citizens abroad must go to the relevant embassy in person with necessary documents if they lost or damaged their passports and can apply for new passports after paying a total of 140 USD (35 Dollars for the passport book and 105 Dollars for fine).
The currently designated amount of money for the passport book and fine was much more than before and a person who lost his passport had to spend over 2,000 Baht when he applied for a new passport before the Covid-19, said Ko Thar Gyi who is helping in the affairs of migrant workers to CNI News.
People waiting in line to apply for passports
" Much, so much. 100 Dollars are equal to 4,000 Bahts at present. The ministry which has designated the amount need to know a worker's daily wage that has been designated by a country concerned. Over 100 Dollars is currently equal to monthly wages of a Myanmar migrant worker. That a Myanmar migrant worker has to pay the amount of money equal to his wages of a month to apply for a new passport shouldn't be. For example, there are about five million Myanmar people in Thailand. That I want to tell the countries where Myanmar people are staying most, if you have to pay over 100 Dollars to apply for a new passport, the amount of money is equal to about 15 day wages. This is exploiting one's own people. This is violating human rights. You could get a passport if you spent about 2,500 or 3,000 Bahts in the past. But now Myanmar citizens who have lost their passports haven't get new passports from Myanmar Embassy in Thailand for eight months or a year." he said.
Because a passport is an evidence that is mainly needed, although it is costly to get it, everyone who goes abroad must get it. So, those who need passports want to get them without delay.
Moreover, those who had lost their passports in foreign countries have to pay Myanmar money equal to 105 Dollars for fine and 35,000 Kyats for the passport book each when they apply for new passports reportedly.
