Hanoi (VNA) – In response to the ongoing efforts to protect Vietnamese citizens detained in Myanmar for violations of the country’s immigration regulations, Deputy Director of the Consular Department under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) Luong Thanh Quang reported that authorities have initially verified the identities of 681 citizens hailing from 56 provinces and cities across the country.
In March, Myanmar’s law enforcement agencies, in coordination with Thai police and international partners, launched a series of raids targeting illegal online gambling operations along the Myanmar–Thailand border. Preliminary screening identified a significant number of Vietnamese nationals among those apprehended. These individuals were deemed illegal immigrants or undocumented workers and were ordered to leave Myanmar.
In an official exchange with the Vietnamese MoFA, Myanmar authorities confirmed that the detainees had violated the host country's laws, including illegal entry, overstaying visas, or participating in criminal activities. Some cases had been repatriated in previous times, but now returned to work at gambling establishments. They were expelled from Myanmar and requested that the Vietnamese side accept them back to their country.
Given the complexity and diversity of the cases, Quang noted that the repatriation process requires not only urgency but also strict attention to safety, order, and thorough oversight. The selected repatriation route involves transporting citizens from Myanmar into Thailand, followed by a nearly 500-km bus journey from Mae Sot to Bangkok, where they board flights home to Vietnam. The entire process takes approximately 20 hours.
On the matter of costs, Quang clarified that those who violate foreign laws and face deportation are responsible for covering their own repatriation expenses.
On April 8, 28, and May 14, three groups comprising a total of 471 citizens safely returned to Vietnam. This marked an important initial success, paving the way for additional repatriation efforts later this month, with the goal of bringing all remaining Vietnamese citizens stranded in Myawaddy, Myanmar, back home as soon as possible.
The MoFA urged citizens to exercise increased caution against deceptive recruitment offers for overseas jobs, especially those lacking clear job descriptions, labour contracts, legal labour export intermediaries, or insurance. Such arrangements can expose individuals to risks of forced labour, fraud, or even human trafficking./.
