The International Labour Organization (ILO), in collaboration with Myanmar civil society, community-based, and labour organizations, marked International Migrants Day on 14 December 2025 in Yangon. This year’s event, held under the theme “Every Migrant, Every Story, One Humanity,” highlighted the dignity, individuality, and significant contributions of migrant workers amid Myanmar’s political instability and conflict. The observance was organized through the EU-funded Ship to Shore Rights South-East Asia: Safe Migration for Decent Work in the Blue Economy programme and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade-funded TRIANGLE in ASEAN initiative.
Over 200 participants attended both in person and online, including current and returned migrant workers, their families, and supporting civil society and labour organizations. The programme featured stories from Myanmar migrants employed in Thailand and the United Arab Emirates, and a panel discussion examined labour migration policies in Thailand and Japan, alongside fair recruitment practices for Myanmar workers in Thailand’s seafood processing sector.
Yutong Liu, ILO Myanmar Liaison Officer and Country Representative, emphasized the essential role migrant workers play in supporting their families and communities, particularly during challenging times. She reaffirmed the ILO’s commitment to working with social partners and stakeholders to safeguard the rights of Myanmar migrant workers throughout the migration process.
On 18 December 2025, the ILO highlighted a series of migrant workers’ stories on its Myanmar Facebook page to celebrate their achievements and raise awareness of safe and fair labour migration. Benjamin Harkins, Technical Specialist at the ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, noted that with limited local employment opportunities, migration remains a crucial livelihood strategy for Myanmar people. He stressed that reduced access to safe migration pathways has increased vulnerability to exploitation, and highlighted ongoing efforts under the Ship to Shore Rights South-East Asia programme to promote decent work and protect migrant workers, particularly in the fishing, seafood processing, and aquaculture sectors.
The EU-funded Ship to Shore Rights South-East Asia programme is implemented by the ILO in partnership with the International Organization for Migration and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. It aims to promote safe migration and decent work within sustainable fish and seafood supply chains, addressing the specific vulnerabilities of migrant workers and mitigating risks that could lead to labour rights abuses, forced labour, and other deficits in decent work.
