Illegal Vietnamese workers abroad and particularly in the Republic of Korea (RoK) who voluntarily return home from September 1 to December 31 this year will not be imposed with any administrative penalties, an official from the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs said.

Vietnamese Ambassador to the RoK Pham Huu Chi speaks at the event.

Relevant agencies are creating favourable conditions for voluntary returnees to have the opportunity to return to the RoK to work legally, said Director of the Ministry’s Overseas Workers Centre Pham Van Minh at the September 6 meeting with Vietnamese guest workers whose contracts are about to expire in Bucheon city, Gyeonggi province.

Minh added that the Overseas Workers Centre has coordinated with occupation services centres in cities and provinces where RoK businesses are investing to introduce jobs for returning guest workers, voluntarily or otherwise.

Ambassador to the RoK Pham Huu Chi said returning home on time will benefit the workers themselves and allow tens of thousands of domestic employees to continue working in the RoK.

Sharing incentives for timely departures, Director of the Korean Human Resources Development Agency in Gyeonggi province Chue Byong-gi said relevant RoK agencies are actively supporting procedures for the return of illegal migrant workers and intensifying measures to trace those who do not willingly return home.

Director of the Overseas Workers Centre Minh told reporters from the Vietnam News Agency that previously, under Article 35 of Resolution 95/2013/ND-CP, illegal workers who returned either of their own accord or through deportation would be fined 80-100 million VND (3,520-4,400 USD) and banned from working overseas for 2-5 years.

The exemption of administrative fines for illegal workers who return home voluntarily is a prompt policy of the Vietnamese Government which aims to mitigate the proportion of illegal Vietnamese employees abroad and in the RoK in particular, Minh said.

This is also a favourable condition for the implementation of commitments with the RoK under the special Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) outlining orientations for receiving Vietnamese guest workers under the Employment Permit System (EPS) programme, which was signed between the two countries on April 10 this year.

Accordingly, if the ratio of Vietnamese illegal workers in the RoK reduces by below 28 percent by December 31 this year, the RoK’s Ministry of Employment and Labour will re-sign the MoU on receiving Vietnamese workers in the RoK under the EPS programme.

VNA