ILO, partners mark International Migrants Day in Myanmar, urging safer migration

More than 200 participants joined the event in person and online, including potential migrant workers, returnees, families, labour organizations and migrant support groups.

The International Labour Organization (ILO), together with Myanmar’s civil society organizations, labour groups and community-based networks, commemorated International Migrants Day on 14 December 2025 in Yangon. The event, held under the theme “Every Migrant, Every Story, One Humanity,” highlighted the resilience, dignity and contributions of Myanmar’s migrant workers at a time of heightened vulnerability due to political instability and conflict.

Organized under two major regional programmes—the EU-funded Ship to Shore Rights South-East Asia: Safe Migration for Decent Work in the Blue Economy and the Australian-funded TRIANGLE in ASEAN programme—the event aimed to increase public awareness of migrants’ rights, honour their stories, and promote safe and fair migration systems.

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Celebrating Migrants’ Contributions Amid Rising Challenges

More than 200 participants joined the event in person and online, including potential migrant workers, returnees, families, labour organizations and migrant support groups. Testimonies were shared by Myanmar workers currently employed in Thailand and the United Arab Emirates, as well as returnees who spoke about the challenges of unsafe migration, the importance of fair recruitment and the role of remittances in sustaining livelihoods back home.

A panel discussion reviewed:

• Labour migration policies in Thailand and Japan

• Fair recruitment initiatives for Myanmar workers in Thailand’s seafood processing sector

• Current challenges facing migrants due to reduced official migration pathways

• Risks of exploitation resulting from irregular migration routes

These discussions underscored how political and economic instability has pushed many Myanmar workers to seek opportunities abroad, often without adequate protections.

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ILO Reaffirms Commitment to Migrants’ Rights

ILO Myanmar Liaison Officer Yutong Liu stressed the vital economic and social contributions migrants make:

“Migrants provide an essential lifeline to their families and communities back home. The ILO is committed to working with social partners and stakeholders to ensure robust protection of Myanmar migrant workers throughout the migration process.”

On 18 December, the ILO published a series of migrant stories on its Facebook page to further amplify workers’ voices and draw attention to the need for safe and fair labour migration.

ILO Technical Specialist Benjamin Harkins warned that diminished migration pathways have increased risks of exploitation:

“Labour migration provides an essential livelihood strategy for the Myanmar people. But reduced access to safe migration routes has made migrants more vulnerable to abuse. Through the Ship to Shore Rights South-East Asia programme, we are working to expand access to safe migration, decent working conditions and protection of fundamental labour rights.”

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Ship to Shore Rights South-East Asia: Tackling Risks in the Blue Economy

The Ship to Shore Rights South-East Asia initiative is a regional EU-funded programme implemented by the ILO in collaboration with:

• The International Organization for Migration (IOM)

• The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

The programme promotes:

• Safe migration

• Decent working conditions

• Protection of labour rights

• A sustainable fish and seafood supply chain in the region

Workers in fishing, seafood processing and aquaculture face unique vulnerabilities including hazardous conditions, forced labour risks, debt bondage from recruitment fees, and barriers to reporting abuses.

By improving recruitment mechanisms, strengthening legal protections, and expanding worker support services, the initiative aims to reduce decent work deficits and ensure that migrant workers can participate in regional industries safely and with dignity.

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A Call for Unity and Human Rights

The commemoration highlighted that every migrant carries a personal story of aspiration, hardship and resilience. As Myanmar’s economic and political landscape continues to evolve, the ILO and its partners reaffirmed their commitment to safeguarding migrant workers’ rights and ensuring they receive the protection, respect and opportunities they deserve.