Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – The Vietnamese Embassy in Malaysia has recently provided citizen protection and assistance for 10 Vietnamese fishermen facing hardship in Perak state, helping them return home safely and reunite with their families, while warning of the risks of labour exploitation and recruitment scams overseas.
Following a request for assistance from the Office of the People’s Committee of Ca Mau province on August 27, the embassy promptly verified the case and contacted the fishermen directly.
The group said they had travelled to Malaysia in February to work for a fishing boat owner. During their employment, their passports were confiscated, and they were frequently not provided with sufficient food, drinking water, and other basic living necessities. They were reportedly left without food for many days. In desperate circumstances, the fishermen contacted their families, who then sought assistance from Vietnamese authorities.
In response, embassy officials maintained regular contact with the group and guided them to a safe location. The 10 fishermen were subsequently transported to Kuala Lumpur, where the embassy arranged accommodation, meals and other essential support.
The embassy also assisted them in obtaining the necessary documents, reporting the case to local police and completing exit procedures with Malaysian immigration authorities. After nearly a week receiving assistance in Kuala Lumpur, all 10 fishermen were accompanied by embassy officials to the airport and completed procedures to return safely to Vietnam.
The case also serves as a warning to workers considering overseas employment, particularly in response to offers promising “easy work and high pay”. Before accepting a job abroad, workers should carefully verify the recruiter, workplace, employment contract, salary, and working and living conditions, and should not rely on verbal promises or transfer money to unverified intermediaries.
While abroad, workers are advised to keep copies of their personal documents, maintain regular contact with their families and promptly notify local authorities or Vietnamese representative missions if they are threatened, have their passports withheld or are forced to work.
The embassy also recommends that prospective migrant workers actively seek and verify information from the outset to protect themselves from fraudulent recruitment schemes and labour exploitation./.
