VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam is a safe and friendly destination for foreign visitors amid increasingly complex global issues such as the rise in international terrorism or religious and ethnic disputes, thanks to the country's proactive policies towards foreigners, whether they are arriving, departing or residing in Viet Nam.

Foreigners pass through customs at Noi Bai International Airport. Since the law on foreign arrivals, departures and residency was approved in 2000, the country has seen a steady increase in the number of foreigners visiting the country, with an average annual rise of 20-30 per cent.

Major General Vu Thanh Binh, deputy director of the General Department of Security 1, at the Ministry of Public Security, stated this at a meeting discussing a range of policies on issues concerning foreigners in Viet Nam held by the National Assembly's Council for National Defence and Security in Ha Noi on Tuesday, July 16.

Binh reported that since the law on foreign arrivals, departures and residency was approved in Viet Nam in 2000, the country has seen a steady increase in the number of foreigners visiting the country, with an average annual surge of 20-30 per cent.

In particular, the number of foreign visitors to Viet Nam last year (more than 6.45 million) has risen sixfold against 2000 and by June this year, the number of visitors to Viet Nam had reached 51 per cent of last year's total.

However, representatives from the Ministries of National Defence, Public Security and Foreign Affairs agreed that the procedures to keep an overview of foreigners visiting or residing in Viet Nam is out of date and needs more advanced technologies to be applied.

Le Viet Truong, deputy chairman of the Council for National Defence and Security, commented that the responsibilities of State agencies were overlapping when it came to managing expatriates working in Viet Nam.

He said that while the arrivals, departures and residency of foreigners in Viet Nam were directly under the management of the police and the border forces, it involved many different sectors including State agencies and many other organisations and associations.

So far, however, there has not been a consistent co-operation mechanism for managing foreigners in Viet Nam, which makes it difficult to keep track of foreigners' activities and poses several problems to social order and security in the country, complained the representatives of several ministries.

Binh said that assigning responsibilities between the different State agencies when managing foreigners were not specific enough, and that was why the Ministry of Public Security was left to carry the case when any problems arise.

The participants also pointed out that a number of foreign individuals and groups, especially those from mainland China and Taiwan, had taken advantage of the country's open policy towards tourists, to come and work illegally or help others to work illegally. Several have been caught committing crimes such as commercial fraud or illegally acting as marriage brokers or food traders.

In response to these issues, the Ministry of Public Security has proposed drawing up tighter legislation concerning foreigners' arriving, departing or residing in Viet Nam.

It also proposed that such a law should include specific procedures for foreigners visiting or staying in Viet Nam. It also needs to identify the actual responsibilities of each State agency, organisation and individual, on issues related to foreigners in Viet Nam and more in depth information on foreigners before they are granted permanent residency in the country.

According to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, by this May, the total number of foreign workers in Viet Nam has now reached over 71,000 people. Of which, over 41,500 (more than 63 per cent) were granted work permits, nearly 24,000 people (nearly 37 per cent) were not granted work permits and 5,500 are not required to hold such a permit.

The Ministry also announced a breakdown of the figures on foreign workers, from over 60 countries, of which roughly 58 per cent are from Asia (mostly China, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan) and 28.5 per cent from Europe. Men make up nearly 90 per cent of all foreign workers and 86 per cent of workers are over 30 years old.

Source: VNS