Hanoi (VNA) – The protection of Vietnamese citizensand legal entities abroad has been carried out effectively and obtained manyimportant results, said Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son.

In a report submitted to National Assembly (NA) deputies aheadof the NA Standing Committee’s 31st session,he said that since 2022, international travel and Vietnamese citizens’ movement to other countries have fully recovered. People’s working, studying, and traveldemand has been growing fast.

Statistics show that Vietnamese citizens made more than 3.82 milliondepartures for other countries in 2022, and the figure approximated 10.1million in 2023.

The increase in the number of Vietnamese citizens goingabroad for different purposes reflects the country’s high level of integration,Son said, noting that it has created numerous opportunities but also led to complicatedissues, posing many challenges to consular affairs and citizen protectionabroad.

Meanwhile, the world situation remains complicated, especiallythe Russia - Ukraine, Israel - Hamas, and Myanmar conflicts, requiringauthorities keep a close watch on the situation and stay ready to conductcitizen protection.

Following the Party and State’s guidelines, policies, andregulations, the protection of Vietnamese citizens, legal entities, andfishermen abroad has been carried out effectively and obtained many importantresults. In particular, authorities have properly settled serious andlarge-scaled cases and those posing risk to the safety of Vietnamese citizens’lives and assets abroad, thus receiving high evaluation from the public and theinternational community and also showing the Party and State’s sense of responsibilityand humane policy towards Vietnamese citizens, according to the minister.

As soon as the conflict in Ukraine broke out, the Ministry ofForeign Affairs (MoFA) has taken comprehensive and strong political -diplomatic measures regarding relevant countries; ordered Vietnam’srepresentative bodies in Ukraine, Russia, and neighbouring countries to carryout measures to protect citizens and ensure security and safety for them; and alsocoordinated with associations and representative agencies of Vietnam toevacuate the citizens away from conflict zones and to neighbouring countries.

So far, he said, more than 6,000 Vietnamese peopleaffected by the conflict have been evacuated, including about 1,700 repatriatedby air. Notably, authorities have assisted not only Vietnamese nationals butalso Vietnamese-origin people and their family members and relatives of foreignnationalities. This demonstrates the Party and State’s humane and consistent policytowards the overseas Vietnamese community.

As for the armed clashes in the northern Myanmar state ofShan since late October 2023, the MoFA has coordinated with relevantministries, sectors and localities, andwork with foreign partners to repatriate the Vietnamese stranded there.

As many as 1,398 Vietnamesecitizens were brought home in two phases. Vietnam also helpedevacuate six foreign citizens at the request of other countries. Authoritieshave basically completed dealing with the evacuation of Vietnamese citizensin the Laukkai area, north of Shan state. There haven’t been any Vietnamesecasualties recorded in the conflict in Myanmar, Son went on.

In 2022, Vietnam’s representative agencies inCambodia worked with local authorities to rescue Vietnamese citizens fromillegal detention sites, and coordinated with domestic agencies to receivenearly 1,400 citizens. The agencies said this figure reflects just part of thenumber of forced Vietnamese labourers, the minister noted.

The problem expanded to other regional countries in 2023, theofficial reported, adding that the MoFA worked with authorities of Cambodia,the Philippines, Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar to rescue, protect, and repatriateabout 1,500 citizens.

The issue of Vietnamese citizens deceived into forced labourabroad emerged in 2020, and this is an extremely complex problem due tomany reasons. The MoFA has proposed many counter-measures to the Prime Minister,who has also demanded ministries, sectors, and localities implement varioussolutions.

Regarding fishermen working in the vicinity ofHoang Sa (Paracel) and Hoang Sa (Spratly) of Vietnam, the MoFA has repeatedlycontacted and sent diplomatic notes objecting to the countries that illegally intervened,detained, or seized property of the Vietnamese fishing vessels operatinglegally in Vietnam’s waters. It has also affirmed Vietnam’s sovereignty overthese archipelagoes, which was established in line with international law,including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),according to Minister Son./.