By the Myanmar Times | 13 March 2017
Myanmar and Thailand signed a bilateral MOU to govern the labour migration between the two, especially from Myanmar to Thailand. The MOU provides a framework to facilitate regular labour migration by focusing more on admission procedures, prevention of irregular migration and employment, and repatriation of migrant workers, among others. Issues of labour market demands and social protection and rights at work of migrant workers are not comprehensively covered.
The MOU gives mandate for the authorised agencies of both countries to work together for the establishment of procedures to integrate illegal workers who are in the country of the other party prior to the entry into force of the MOU. This paved the way for the regularization of undocumented migrant workers in Thailand. The MOU also gives extensive role of the government in recruitment. It is expected that implementation of the MOU could address the lengthy procedure for recruitment and placement.