An inter-sectoral meeting took place between Vietnamese and Cambodian agencies took place in Phnom Penh on April 23 to discuss the handling of legal residency procedures for Vietnamese Cambodians.

The Vietnamese side included representatives from the Ministry of Public Security and State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, while the Cambodian side was officials from agencies, including the General Department of Immigration and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

Both sides said historical factors have resulted in shortcomings in the licensing of legal documents to Vietnamese Cambodians in the past, which is now not suitable to Cambodia’s current law.

The issue has caused difficulties to the management of local authorities and hindered the community from carrying out their responsibilities to the country and protecting their legal rights.

Relevant Cambodian agencies have examined and classified to assess the current conditions of local document licensing and management for over 170,000 Vietnamese Cambodians. About half of the group has completed their related legal procedures; many of them with adequate documents to prove their legal immigration have received permanent residency permits.

The Vietnamese side welcomed the Cambodian side’s policy on tackling the issue for Vietnamese Cambodians, which facilitated them to settle their life and make contribution to the host country. The work not only helped Cambodia manage local security affairs more effectively but also reflected the country’s traditional relationship with Vietnam.

The two sides agreed that Cambodian relevant agencies speed up the process of legal procedures for the community in line with local law. The Vietnamese side will coordinate with Cambodia during the process. The Vietnamese Embassy and other diplomatic representatives in Cambodia will took part in encouraging Vietnamese Cambodians to obey local regulations and quickly complete their relevant legal documents.-VNA