International migration experts onMarch 26 suggested Vietnam should work more closely with destinationcountries to improve the speed and reduce costs for overseas Vietnameseof sending remittances back home.

At the international conference entitled “Socio-economic impacts ofemigration,” specialists from the Vietnam Asia-Pacific Economic Centre(VAPEC) also urged the Vietnamese government to increase ties withofficial financial institutions to facilitate the flow of remittances.

The current policies, they said, are not effective enough in optimisingall the resources that Vietnamese emigrants overseas can bring to thenational development.

Emigration became common in Vietnam after the end of the US war.Statistics show that around 5 percent of families nationwide have oneor more members who have migrated, mainly to the US , Taiwan , theRepublic of Korea , Malaysia and Russia .

Economic studies have shown that emigration and remittances have a verypositive impact on the incomes and living standards of families. Thereis even evidence that they have helped improve income equality inVietnam .

The experts also urged government agencies, local authorities andcommunity-based organisations to work hand in hand to improve publicawareness about opportunities and risks concerning internationalemigration through training and communication activities.

Vietnamese emigrants and their families should be provided withadequate information in order to make better-informed choices regardinggoing work overseas.

Lending and financial support programmes should be stepped up to makesure the poor can benefit from emigration opportunities, thespecialists said.

They also urged the government to develop policies on encouragingskilled workers, students, and experts to return home and use theirknowledge to help develop the country./.