The Recyclers |The life of Burmese migrants at the Mae Sot dump
Along the Thai-Burmese border, the town of Mae Sot has become a refuge for many Burmese immigrant families. Thousands of citizens of Myanmar (formerly Burma) cross the border to escape from one of the most cruel and unjust regimes that still exist in the world.
According to government statistics, there are at least two million Burmese nationals working in Thailand; at least three fourth of them are illegal.
This status and the lack of connection forces many people to live at a large rubbish dump just outside of Mae Sot. By collecting recyclable materials, people can make about 100 baht (2.5 ?) per day.
At present, approximately fifty families are living in bamboo huts built on mountains of waste. Before the waste arrives at the dump, it already has passed through a double sorting process, which makes it difficult for these families to salvage resalable material.
Photo documentary by Italian photographer Vincenzo Floramo
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