Deported and Detained: Burmese Migrants Face Forced Conscription Upon Return from Thailand

May 30, 2025

HURFOM: On 26 May 2025, Thai authorities transferred more than 80 Myanmar nationals from the Ranong Detention Center to Kaw Thaung, Tanintharyi Region. The move marks the fifth deportation of Myanmar migrants from Thailand this year. Among those deported were 60 men and 21 women, according to a statement released by Thailand’s Immigration Department in Ranong.

HURFOM has confirmed that, upon arrival in Kaw Thaung, those who fall within the military conscription age were immediately detained by the junta’s security forces and sent to military training camps. Local residents and families of the returnees expressed grave concerns that many were taken without warning and without the knowledge of their loved ones abroad.

“A lot of families thought their children were still working in Thailand. They had no idea they were being deported or arrested,” said a local resident from Kaw Thaung. “Some of them were picked up right after they got off the boat.”

Since the military coup in 2021, Burma has seen a sharp increase in youth fleeing the country to avoid forced conscription, worsening economic conditions, and widespread insecurity. Many seek refuge and work in neighbouring countries like Thailand and Malaysia—some through formal migration channels, but many through irregular means.

The recent crackdown under the junta’s unlawful conscription law has added another layer of fear. Even deportees returning after completing prison sentences in Thailand—for immigration violations, drug use, or other charges—are now at risk of being forcibly conscripted if they are of eligible age.

According to data released by Thai immigration authorities, this recent deportation marks the 14th such transfer from Ranong to Kaw Thaung since January 2024, bringing the total number of deported Burmese nationals to over 2,000 this year alone. The monthly breakdown includes:
January: 149 people February: 200 people March: 250 people April: 208 people May: 81 people (latest transfer)

The Myanmar Labour Attaché in Ranong, U Moe Zaw, also participated in the handover alongside Thai immigration officials. The deportees were transported via eight boats from Ranong Port to Kaw Thaung.

HURFOM is deeply concerned by the continued deportations, especially as many returnees face immediate arrest, extortion, or forced military recruitment by the junta. These actions place already vulnerable individuals—many of whom fled for survival—at further risk of abuse, detention, or being sent to the frontlines.

Forced conscription, particularly of returnees and migrant workers, is a gross violation of international human rights norms. HURFOM continues to call for an immediate halt to the practice and urges both Thai and international authorities to ensure the protection of Burmese migrants and deportees.

Written by HURFOM · Filed Under News