International migration experts on March 26 suggested Vietnam should work more closely with destination countries to improve the speed and reduce costs for overseas Vietnamese of sending remittances back home.

At the international conference entitled “Socio-economic impacts of emigration,” specialists from the Vietnam Asia-Pacific Economic Centre (VAPEC) also urged the Vietnamese government to increase ties with official financial institutions to facilitate the flow of remittances.

The current policies, they said, are not effective enough in optimising all the resources that Vietnamese emigrants overseas can bring to the national development.

Emigration became common in Vietnam after the end of the US war. Statistics show that around 5 percent of families nationwide have one or more members who have migrated, mainly to the US , Taiwan , the Republic of Korea , Malaysia and Russia .

Economic studies have shown that emigration and remittances have a very positive impact on the incomes and living standards of families. There is even evidence that they have helped improve income equality in Vietnam .

The experts also urged government agencies, local authorities and community-based organisations to work hand in hand to improve public awareness about opportunities and risks concerning international emigration through training and communication activities.

Vietnamese emigrants and their families should be provided with adequate information in order to make better-informed choices regarding going work overseas.

Lending and financial support programmes should be stepped up to make sure the poor can benefit from emigration opportunities, the specialists said.

They also urged the government to develop policies on encouraging skilled workers, students, and experts to return home and use their knowledge to help develop the country./.