Starting September 15, Myanmar will prohibit newly recruited male and female seafarers from traveling abroad using Seafarer Myanmar Passports (PS), as announced by the Department of Marine Administration. Instead, those wishing to travel internationally must convert their PS passports to Passport for Visit (PV) passports through the Passport Issuing Office under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
This new regulation aims to combat illegal recruitment and protect seafarers from exploitation by unlicensed recruitment agencies, intermediaries, and brokers. The department highlighted several troubling cases where seafarers were misled and sent to work on unauthorized fishing vessels or in Gulf countries, often without proper wages due to inadequate employment contracts. Some have even found themselves on vessels involved in smuggling, leading to legal troubles abroad.
Additionally, there have been reports of fraudulent sea-service records and seafarers being dispatched without completing necessary training. The Department of Marine Administration emphasized that this initiative is designed to safeguard seafarers’ employment rights, ensure proper insurance coverage, and guarantee fair wages, as well as access to legitimate sea-service records and training opportunities.
