Thailand this month has begun allowing refugees from Myanmar who live in nine border camps to seek legal work, a significant policy shift aimed at offsetting cuts in foreign aid and filling domestic labour shortages. More than 87,000 people in those camps have depended on international assistance for decades; many have never left the makeshift settlements since fleeing fighting in Myanmar.
The move follows steep reductions in funding from major donors, notably a rollback of US support this year that forced aid groups to scale back services. The Border Consortium, which supplies much of the camps’ food, has said it can now help only the most vulnerable, and some health services run by the International Rescue Committee have closed. Léon de Riedmatten, TBC’s executive director, said Thai authorities realised no other government was ready to replace the lost American assistance and that the country could not shoulder the camps’ costs alone.
In August the labour ministry adopted a resolution — taking effect this month — to grant special permission to eligible camp residents to work. The government framed the change as a way to avoid bearing the burden alone, support economic growth, address labour shortages and promote human rights.
Tammi Sharpe, the UNHCR representative in Thailand, described the decision as a “turning point,” saying refugees would be able to support themselves and their families, boost local consumption and contribute to job creation and national resilience. Refugee leaders in the camps welcomed the change. Bway Say, general secretary of the Karen Refugee Committee, said allowing people to work outside the camps was “very, very good,” and would help families that currently receive only limited aid.
But many refugees are apprehensive. Language barriers, limited skills for available jobs and unfamiliarity with Thai laws and systems are common concerns. Akekasit Subannapong, an advocacy coordinator for the Committee for Coordination of Services to Displaced Persons in Thailand, warned that camp residents will need support to integrate and to learn local norms and legal requirements.
Under the new arrangements, prospective workers must apply for a work permit and complete health screening; employers will be vetted by camp officials. Government ministries have already begun health checks and job fairs within the camps, and some employers have visited to recruit. Many positions are expected in agriculture and factories. An estimated 42,600 refugees may be eligible to work.
Workers will receive identification documents and access to banking services so they can send money to relatives remaining in the camps. Officials and aid groups acknowledge there will be teething problems: the labour ministry is new to working with these refugees and some issues are likely to arise, but agencies say they will be handled in real time through coordination among authorities, welfare organisations and camp communities.
Thailand’s decision was long resisted because of public concerns about attracting more migrants while Myanmar remains in conflict. But recent pressures — including a depleted Thai workforce caused in part by an ageing population and the sudden departure of roughly 520,000 Cambodian migrant workers after a border dispute in July — helped change the calculus. Cambodian workers had made up about 12% of Thailand’s labour force, particularly in agriculture, fisheries, manufacturing and construction.
Roisa i Wongsuban, a consultant with the Migrant Working Group, said the combined shocks have forced Thailand into a leadership role on managing displaced populations and that public sentiment toward refugees has become more positive.
Aid agencies see the policy as long-sought and potentially precedent-setting in the region. The UNHCR is working with the World Bank to gather economic data on the impact of allowing refugees to join the formal workforce. If successful, authorities hope the scheme could be expanded beyond the camps to refugees living in Thai cities — an estimated 5,000 people — moving communities away from decades of aid dependency toward greater self-reliance.
Officials and humanitarian actors emphasise that close coordination, training and language support will be crucial to make the initiative work and to minimise problems for refugees, employers and host communities. With careful implementation, they say, the policy could both ease immediate welfare gaps and offer a more sustainable model for displaced populations in the region.
