The Myanmar authorities have extended the validity of temporary passport for Myanmar migrant workers from 3 years to 6 years starting this month, local media reported Thursday.
The temporary passports for migrant workers, issued at the Myanmar-Thai border gates, are only for those applying on and after July 1, the Weekly Eleven News said.
So far, there are over 500,000 Myanmar migrant workers holding such temporary passports since June 2009.
Nearly one million Myanmar migrant workers are expected to register in a month to the offices in Myawaddy, Tachileik, Kawthaung, while Thai side's Ranong is also offering services for the workers.
The Myanmar authorities have requested its Thai counterpart not to arrest the Myanmar migrant workers during the announced registration period.
There are about 3 million Myanmar migrant labors are working in Thailand's fishery, industrial and agricultural sectors.
According to official statistics, the number of Myanmar workers, legally employed to work in 15 foreign countries, reached 330,311 as of 2010 since 1990 and such overseas workers had fetched for the country over 17 million U.S dollars.
Myanmar citizens seeking overseas jobs are mostly destined to such countries as Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Libya, Thailand, Cambodia, Japan, Switzerland, Brunei Darussalam, United Arab Emirates, America, France, Germany, Qatar and Kuwait.
As part of its bid to ease domestic employment problem, Myanmar 's Ministry of Labor has sought job opportunities for Myanmar workers since 1990.
Reference: Xiong Tong, "Myanmar extends passport validity for migrant workers", Xinhua News, 7 July 2011
