Hanoi (VNA) - The issues of fraud in labour export, high rates of labour absconding, and the quality improvement of overseas employment were among questions raised by the deputies, as Minister of Labour, Invalids, and Social 🍨Affairs (MoLISA) Dao Ngoc Dung took the floor on June 6 - the 13th working day of the ongoing 5th session of the 15th National Assembly (NA).

Nguyen Thi Viet Nga, a deputy from the Hai Duong delegation, said in recent years, the number of Vietnamese workers going abroad has increased rapidly. However, many are deceived in various ways, resulting in serious consequences. She questioned the ministry’s solutions to address the pressing issue. In response, Minister Dung stated that currently, there are 482 firms licensed by the state to send workers abroad for employment. Workers who choose these businesses are less likely to be deceived. "The majority of workers who are deceived are victims of 'ghost' companies, those with incorrect addresses, without state permits, fraudulent companies, and even disguised companies. The Ministry has cooperated with relevant agencies and localities to handle many of these cases," the minister elaborated. According to Minister Dung, there are cases where companies have been granted permits but still engage in deception, even deceiving both the labourers and the businesses receiving them. Regarding solutions, the ministry recently imposed penalties on businesses that caught violations of sending workers to work abroad. In 2022 alone, the sector’s inspection unit fined 62 firms, of which four were revoked their licences. Minister Dung believed that to effectively handle fraudulent practices, it is necessary to implement multiple synchronised solutions and collaborate with localities and other relevant agencies and ministries. He said the ministry will focus on disseminating information about policies and laws, as well as labour export markets, to ensure that workers have access to comprehensive information. At the same time, it will intensify inspection, monitoring, and enforcement measures to handle violations. On the issue of Vietnamese workers staying abroad beyond the designated time, Minister Dao Ngoc Dung stated that the current situation is not as concerning as it was in 2017. At that time, the absconding rate of Vietnamese workers in the Republic of Korea (RoK) reached 52%, resulting in the host nation’s suspension of the Employment Permit System (EPS) for the group. However, following a reduction in the absconding rate, the RoK has reopened the EPS for Vietnam. In recent times, MoLISA has implemented various preventative measures, lowering the rate of contract violations by Vietnamese workers to 24.6%. The rate has provided a basis for the RoK to continue lifting restrictions on accepting Vietnamese workers. To enhance the quality of overseas employment, Minister Dung stated that MoLISA will focus on improving the capacity of units responsible for implementing related tasks according to the law. Additionally, the ministry will continue to negotiate and select effective areas, regions, and partners to cooperate in sending workers abroad. Vietnam sent more than 142,000 labourers abroad in 2022, mostly to Japan, according to the ministry’s Department of Overseas Labour. The figure surpassed the target set for last year, which stood at 90,000. Among the workers sent abroad last year, 49,000 were female, accounting for 34.2%. Japan was the top destination with more than 67,000, followed by Taiwan (China) with nearly 58,600 and the Republic of Korea with approximately 10,000. The figure in 2022 was still lower than in 2019 (the pre-pandemic period) which hit 147,000 workers./.