Burmese Migration

Prior to the reopening of Burma to the world, Burmese primarily emigrated in response to various economic, social, and political tensions. Flows from Burma were — and still are — mixed and include stateless persons, refugees, asylum seekers, labor migrants, and trafficking victims.
Labor Migration to Thailand

A significant number of Burmese migrants are in search of employment abroad, primarily in Thailand, which is a newly industrialized economy and one of the fastest growing in Southeast Asia. Migrant workers mostly hold low-skilled jobs, especially in fishing and seafood processing, construction, clothing factories, and domestic services. There are currently 2.5 million to 3 million foreign-born workers in Thailand, and many labor experts and media report that there are an estimated 1 million to 2 million Burmese migrant workers.
The pull to Thailand — whose population is just under 70 million — is due to its geographic proximity to Burma, large supply of low-skilled jobs, and relatively lax migration policies. Thailand's need for migrant workers began in the 1980s when the country moved from an agricultural-based economy to an export-oriented one. As more Thais left rural areas for cities and increased their skill levels, low-skilled migrants began filling the resulting gaps in the labor force. By the early 1990s, Thailand had moved from being a net exporter to a net importer of migrants, and in 1992 the government began registering migrant workers.
The push and pull factors that have characterized this labor migration pattern still exist despite recent developments at the national level. Almost one-third of Burma's population continues to live below the poverty line (2012 estimate) as compared to 8 percent in Thailand (2009 estimate). GDP per capita in 2012 was $1,400 in Burma compared to $10,000 in Thailand. Wages in Burma have remained stagnant, while in January 2013 Thailand passed a new legal daily minimum wage of 300 baht (approximately $10) — a further incentive to work in Thailand.
Policy Developments
Over the past decade, the Thai government has adopted new legislation that directly affects labor migrants. Formal recognition of this labor migration flow occurred in 2003 when Burma and Thailand signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU), which is still in effect. The purpose of the MOU is two-fold: to promote formal procedures for employment and protection of Burmese workers in Thailand, and to prevent irregular migration. But there is significant evidence suggesting that most Burmese migrants are still entering illegally, calling into question the effectiveness of the MOU.
The Thai government subsequently adopted two additional methods for legalizing migrant workers. The first was a government program to recruit workers directly from Burma. But the details of this process remain unclear, and while the program still exists, it has not been used significantly.
The second method for legalizing migrant workers is the nationality verification (NV) process, requiring workers to present identity documents that the Burmese government issues at eight registration centers throughout the country. Once verified, the worker receives a temporary passport, a certificate of identity, a visa to remain in Thailand for two years, and a change of work status to legal. Migrant workers also obtain other benefits, including social security and work accident compensation. Only adult workers are eligible for regularization, even though the number of dependents of migrants has increased. By December 2012, some 744,000 migrant workers had gone through the NV process.
The NV program's first deadline to register was February 2010. But the deadline has been extended numerous times, the latest extension coming in mid-January 2013 after the last deadline of December 14, 2012 passed. Those who do not register during the new four-month extension may be at risk of deportation if the deadline is not extended again, although Burmese officials in Thailand have indicated that they will petition for extra time. The 120-day grace period is open to unauthorized Burmese migrants living and working in Thailand and their children under 15 (this also applied to Lao and Cambodian migrants).
Thai authorities have attempted to streamline the process by setting up "One Stop Service Centers" (OSCCs) for employers who have submitted the relevant documentation to provincial employment offices. OSCCs were expected to open in mid-February and are located throughout the country.
Those who are skeptical of the process are concerned that the new rules still allow for exploitation of foreign workers. In addition, many activists report that the NV process is flawed and that many unregistered Burmese workers are actually not eligible for verification.
The reasons for not registering are two-fold: first, registering is expensive. Beyond the official associated costs, there have been numerous allegations of corruption, with brokers along the border reportedly charging several times the price for visas.
A second reason for not registering is that the Burmese government does not recognize all ethnic groups, such as Muslim Rohingya. These groups have been denied citizenship for decades, thus making their registration in Thailand impossible.
The recent stalling and eventual extension of the deadline for the NV process by the Thai government does not seem to be motivated by the political, economic, and social reforms taking place in Burma. The NV process existed prior to the political opening and there were multiple extensions before 2011.