Currently over 4.5 million Vietnamese people live outside of Vietnam, a comparatively high number, a recent workshop in the central province of Phu Yen disclosed.

The event, co-hosted by the Foreign Ministry and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), brought together Vietnamese diplomats and international experts to discuss the migration crisis and the protection of migrants, who are often in a position of vulnerability in their new host countries.

According to the IOM, a migration crisis, more often referred to as “crisis with migration dimensions”, can occur suddenly or build up gradually, has natural or man-made causes, and can take place within a state or across state borders.

Causes include political instability, natural disasters, armed conflicts and economic crisis. The displaced population is often at risk of unemployment, loss of identity, mental health problems, and in some cases, death.

Participants proposed a comprehensive package of support services to help migrants, including comprehensive healthcare, especially for women and children who are more vulnerable to psychological trauma, and consular procedures, such as issuing new passports and identity papers.

In the past, Vietnam agreed to numerous immigration deals with several countries, making it easier for Vietnamese migrants to adapt to their host societies.

When crises erupt in countries where Vietnamese nationals reside, the Government coordinates with the relevant authorities to bring them home, such as the evacuations of 200 workers from Lebanon in 2006 and more than 10,500 from Libya in 2011.-VNA