The central province of Quang Nam is looking to address irregular migration and unregistered marriages along its border with the Lao province of Se Kong.

The provincial People’s Committee established a working group including police, border guards and officials from the Department of Justice, the Department of External Affairs and the Board for Ethnic Affairs in charge of verifying illegal migration and marriage cases.

Through the end of June, it will organise meetings with locals to disseminate policies and laws of Vietnam and Laos involving migration and marriage.

Head of the Justice Department Nguyen Duc Tho said the most important thing is to verify illegal Lao migrants or those illegitimately married and decide whether they are allowed to reside in the locality or if they need to be repatriated.

The People’s Committee will provide financial assistance for those who are repatriated to Laos.

It also pledged to offer dwellings, cultivated land and vocational trainings for Vietnamese ethnic minorities who are repatriated from Laos.

According to initial data, more than 170 Lao households with around 500 persons have migrated to Quang Nam without permission and around 50 marriages between Vietnamese and Lao people were not registered.-VNA