Hanoi (VNA) – Spokeswoman ofthe Foreign Ministry Le Thi Thu Hang on August 25 updated the media on theissue that many Vietnamese people had been tricked to work illegally inCambodia.

Addressing the ministry’s regularpress meeting, she highlighted that the Vietnamese Government pays close attention to this issue.

The media in the two countriesrecently reported many Vietnamese nationals have been tricked to work illegallyin Cambodia and faced difficulties.

Facing that fact, the ForeignMinistry and Vietnam’s representative bodies in Cambodia have worked closelywith domestic minitries, sectors, and localities, especially the provincesbordering Cambodia, as well as Cambodian authorities to collect and verifyinformation, carry out many citizen protection measures, and repatriate thosein distress.

More than 500 Vietnamese citizenshave been helped to return home safely while thousands of others received assistance in handling procedures, Hang said, noting that the Ministry of Public Securitycracked down on many gangs and arrested many for sending people to workillegally in Cambodia in the first half of this year.

The spokeswoman said in the timeahead, the Foreign Ministry and Vietnam’s representative bodies in Cambodiawill keep coordinating with domestic authorities and localities and Cambodia toincrease citizen protection measures, help the tricked citizens return home,and ensure their rights and legitimate interests.

Localitieswill also step up monitoring and issue warnings to locals about working abroad,she stressed.

Regarding the 11 Vietnamese nationalswho are stranded in Cambodia while trying to flee to Vietnam and could beexpelled by local authorities due to lacking passports, Hang said afterreceiving the information, the Foreign Ministry had instructed the Vietnamese Embassy inCambodia to work with local authorities to ask for early investigation and strongerexamination of working sites, especially those providing entertainmentservices, so as to detect, prevent, and deal with any cases of illegal employmentof workers.

The Foreign Ministry also requestedthe embassy to work with the host country’s agencies to protect and rescue theforeign workers, including Vietnamese ones, who are exploited by employers,work closely with Vietnam’s authorities to increase the management of exit andentry in the two countries’ land border areas to prevent and minimise illegalexits, according to the spokeswoman.

She added that on August 22, theCambodian police arrested the manager of the place where 40 Vietnamesecitizens escaped from on August 18, and handled procedures for 25 other Vietnamese who were alsotricked to work illegally in Cambodia to return home. 

The ministry’s Consular Department hasworked with relevant agencies to verify information and take the next citizenprotection measures, Hang went on, saying that the department and Vietnam’srepresentative bodies in Cambodia will keep a close watch on the case andcoordinate with domestic and Cambodian agencies to solve related issues andcarry out citizen protection measures when necessary./.