"Several thousand stuck in Myanmar border town now able to return home,"

Some 4,000 young people who have been stuck in the border town of Muse had their debts forgiven this week and were told by employment agents that they could return to their home villages...

The youths have been staying in the northern Shan state trading hub since August as they waited to be selected for jobs at garment factories in China’s Yunnan province...

While they wait, the youths stay in warehouses. They’re charged 18,000 kyat (US$4) a day for meals, which is repaid to employment brokers once they secure employment in China.

Workers must obtain a letter from garment factories and be accompanied by a factory representative before they can enter China, but there have been repeated delays over the last five months, according to the young worker, who asked for anonymity for security reasons...

It was unclear what was behind the delays. Migrant workers and aid workers have estimated there are tens of thousands of Myanmar migrant workers already in China, although neither country has released official numbers.

Additionally, brokers in Muse have been holding onto prospective workers’ national registration cards, which are needed for travel within Myanmar...

“We no longer have accommodation or food. We have no money and no jobs,” he said. “Without securing work in China, we can’t afford travel expenses to return home.”

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