New hope for Myanmar refugees as Thailand permits legal employment: HRW researcher

Thailand has approved measures allowing Myanmar refugees living in border camps to work legally for the first time, a move expected to benefit both the refugees and the country's labour market.

According to a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report, around 108,000 refugees live in nine camps along the Thai-Myanmar border, nearly half of whom were born there.

About 80,000 registered refugees -- an estimated 42,000 of working age -- will be eligible for the new work permits, which will be valid for up to a year.

For decades, refugees in the camps have faced restrictions on employment, movement, and access to services, leaving them reliant on foreign aid. The situation worsened this year following major cuts in US government funding for food and healthcare assistance.

The policy shift comes amid labour shortages in Thailand, partly due to an aging population and the recent departure of thousands of Cambodian migrant workers.