There are almost one million Burmese migrants and refugees currently living in Thailand . To Burmese minorities faced with a wide variety of human rights abuses, faced with arbitrary destruction and compulsory requisitioning of land and property, and faced with a poor economy, the prospect of earning a relatively stable wage in Thailand is extremely attractive. Although Thailand is seen as a country of opportunity with riches, justice, and a high standard of living, migrant workers who arrive with no money, no job, and nowhere to stay find that the reality is often very different.

Mekong Minority Foundation was invited by the pastor of Chiang Rai Burmese Grace Church to assist in approaching the issues of migrant workers. He himself is a Shan-Karen who migrated from Burma to Thailand on a green card and most of his congregation members are Burmese migrant workers. So, as partners MMF and Grace Church help Burmese Migrants gain access to the rights to which they are entitled. Simultaneously, they help them to meet their basic needs and support their integration into society.

MMF's Migrant Workers Program now builds equality based on human dignity through supporting and strengthening a migrant worker network. This network assists those who have legal needs or disputes by providing training regarding legal issues and helping workers organise themselves for social activities. In addition, a Children's Learning Center provides early childhood education for migrant children unable to attend local schools. The Learning Center is also a community center that offers legal counseling and assistance. The goal is for this facility to eventually be run by the migrant community and supported by the authorities and the migrant workers themselves.