CNI News

22 February 2024

As the number of people who contacted and enquired to leave Myanmar for foreign countries was increasing, overseas employment agencies was scrutinizing and accepting workers, the agencies told CNI News. 

Because there were too many in-person and phone inquiries every day, Daw Myat Hayman Lin, managing director of Pwint Phoo Aung Overseas Employment Agency told CNI News.

" We have to scrutinize and accept people more than before. Our agency send those who really want to work only. If they can't work after they arrive abroad, the agency will be discredited. We can't say for sure whether this business will stop or not. Because it is really a business that is running again. We don't want to fail in customer service. So, we are scrutinizing and accepting those who want to go abroad." she said.

Most of the people who want to go abroad targeted Thailand and as a second priority, they have chosen Japan and Malaysia reportedly. The reason why the people want to go to Thailand and Malaysia is because they don't have to sit for language test to enter those countries, according to the agencies.

While seeing an overseas employment agency

Most of the people who came to the agencies and inquired wanted to go abroad as soon as possible reportedly. 

The agencies that officially send workers to foreign countries needed to take time and there was no country where people could go to as soon as possible, U Myat Thu, general secretary of the Myanmar Overseas Employment Agencies Federation (MOEAF) told CNI News.

" The youths are very keen on going abroad for the time being. If we can't send them abroad, they go to other agencies. Some of youths are sent abroad through illegal channels by brokers. Many youths are illegally sent abroad, I think. When young people hire agencies to go abroad, agencies have to take time to follow rules and regulations. If we send MoU workers, we tend to take 90 days. As we have to submit documents from the two countries, we have to take time. Some youths might go abroad through illegal channels." he said.

While seeing the office of the Department of Labor

Overseas employment agencies are accepting those who want to go abroad if there are demand letters and there has been an increase in the number of people who come and inquire to go abroad after the People's Military Service Law was approved, according to overseas employment agencies.

The number of licensed overseas employment agencies was 541 in Myanmar in the end of January, 2024 and before the end of February, 6 more agencies were added.

So, the total number of licensed foreign employment agencies has reached 547, according to the Ministry of Labor.