More than 5,500 Myanmar refugees living in camps along Thailand's border have found jobs since the Thai government eased employment curbs last year, an approach that offers a regional example, a senior United Nations (UN) refugee official told Reuters.
The step came in response to a sharp decline in global humanitarian funding, in part as United States President Donald Trump slashed foreign aid and Thailand battled growing labour shortages worsened by armed clashes with Cambodia.
As a result, Thailand allows about 80,000 refugees from Myanmar to work legally, in a policy change significant for a population that has lived for decades dependent on humanitarian aid in nine shelters along the shared border.
Raouf Mazou, UNHCR assistant high commissioner for operations, said Thailand's efforts could become a model for other countries in Southeast Asia grappling with the problem of protracted displacement.
The approach could offer lessons for countries such as Bangladesh and Malaysia that host large refugee populations, showing how they can contribute to the economy while remaining under legal protections and government oversight.
"If it works here, it will have an impact on the region," Mazou said in an interview.
Since the programme's launch in October, Thai authorities have worked with employers to ensure refugee workers receive legal protections, healthcare coverage and at least the minimum wage, Mazou said.
As part of the initiative, refugees are receiving special identity cards to open bank accounts, obtain mobile SIM (subscriber identity module) cards and verify their legal status, steps Mazou said were critical to integrating them into Thailand's formal economy.
UN officials estimate from current trends that between 10,000 and 20,000 refugees stand to get jobs over the next year, although the pace of expansion hinges on administrative processes and practical access to jobs.
Refugees still face challenges such as restrictions on freedom of movement and finding ways to adapt to life after decades spent dependent on aid in camps, Mazou said.
"Self-reliance prepares people to be part of the country they're from... helps them if they are resettled elsewhere, or helps them integrate where they are," he added.
