Kantarawaddy Times
After the Thai government granted legal work permits, some refugees from two Karenni–Thai border camps who went out to work have returned due to difficulties they faced at their workplaces, according to the chairman of Karenni Refugee Camp No. 1.
Currently, more than 60 workers from Camp No. 1 are working outside.
“One problem is that when employers first came to recruit them, they told the refugees that accommodation would be free. But when they(refugees) arrived there, they were told they would have to pay for accommodation. Another issue is that when they are assigned work, they get very little rest time,” said Maw Moe Bue, the chairman of Camp No. 1.
For various reasons, up to five workers have already returned and are now living back inside the camp, she added.
Although workers from the refugee camps are paid 350 baht per day, they must use part of that to cover their accommodation expenses. They also have to work from 7:45 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.
At Karenni Refugee Camp No. 2, very few refugees are interested in going out to work. In the more than 20 days since companies started recruiting, only two people have registered, and none have yet gone to the workplace, according to camp chairman Saw Hto Lwee Wah.
“They don’t really want to travel far. Also, because of the various difficulties posted on social media by those who have already gone, they are still waiting and listening a bit,” Saw Hto Lwee Wah explained.
Media reports also indicate that in Mae La refugee camp on the Thai–Myanmar border, few people are interested in job offers from Thai companies, and some who previously left for work have returned.
Currently, in Karenni Refugee Camps No. 1 and No. 2 in Mae Hong Son Province, there are nearly 500 refugees who are eligible to work, but only just over 60 have entered the workforce.
Thai companies are mainly recruiting workers for agriculture and construction jobs.
