Indonesia returns 27 Vietnamese fishermen

Vietnamese fishermen repatriated on March 13. (Photo: VNA)

Jakarta (VNA) – Indonesia on March 13 repatriated 27 Vietnamese fishermen who were detained from four months to over one year in Tarempa island for illegal fishing in Indonesia’s seas.

They are in the group of 74 fishermen, with most of them from the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang and other provinces of Binh Dinh, Tien Giang, Ben Tre and Ca Mau, who were returned in this year’s first batch.

From the start of the year to March, Indonesia has apprehended 16 ships with more than 170 Vietnamese fishermen aboard.  

Nguyen Thanh Giang, who is in charge of consular affairs from the Vietnamese Embassy in Indonesia, said that about 150 Vietnamese fishermen detained in the country are waiting to return home. However, the figure is projected to rise as the fishing season has started.

According to the immigration agency of Tarempa, in the past three months, 83 Vietnamese fishermen were detained on the island, a surge compared to the total 70 fishermen captured in 2016.-VNA