Junta lifts suspension of overseas work permits for men, but imposes age restrictions

The junta claimed to have rescinded a temporary suspension on permits for male Myanmar nationals to work abroad on Thursday, but new age restrictions on eligibility have been introduced, Myanmar Now has learned. Permanent secretary of the military council’s labour ministry Nyunt Win told regime-controlled media that overseas job applications were again being reviewed and accepted after the process was halted on May 1. However, an email seen by Myanmar Now and sent to overseas employment agencies by the same ministry stated that job recruitment would be limited to men under the age of 23 or over 31. “Those between 23 and 31 years old will not be allowed to work abroad. This applies to both new applicants and old applicants,” an agency representative said, referring to those who were seeking such work before May 1. Speaking to Myanmar Now on May 2 about the suspension of overseas worker permits, Nyunt Win declined to comment on whether the move was related to the large number of young men who have sought employment abroad since the regime announced this year that it would start enforcing a conscription law. Under the law, all men aged 18 to 35 and all women aged 18 to 27 are compelled to serve in the armed forces for at least two years. Almost all conscripts to date have been men. The men aged 23 to 31 who are now reportedly barred from leaving the country would fall into this range of men eligible for forced military service. Employment agencies in Myanmar are required to liaise with both foreign employers and the junta labour ministry to grant work permits. Such employers, particularly those representing factories, are reluctant to hire workers over the age of 35, and would be limited by the recent restrictions. Nyunt Win, speaking to the junta’s MRTV, attributed the earlier suspension to the high volume of applications being submitted, and the lack of staff capacity—he even cited a limited number of computers available for processing. “The selection process for sending workers abroad, whether men or women, involves a thorough review of their profiles and personal information,” he said, but did not disclose further information about the verification process. At the time of reporting, it was unclear whether the age restrictions would apply to men being sent abroad as part of government-to-government arrangements, like the junta maintains with South Korea. Since the 2021 military coup, and prior to the enforcement of the conscription law, large numbers of young people across Myanmar had been seeking work internationally, fleeing both junta offensives and the dire economic conditions created by the regime.

Junta lifts suspension of overseas work permits for men, but imposes age restrictions

Employment agencies say that Myanmar’s military council is forbidding men between the ages of 23 and 31 from being considered for work abroad

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