The Vietnamese government will assist Vietnamese workers in Libya in every way to return home or move to safe places, affirmed a top labour official.

Minister of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan made this statement while granting an interview to a Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reporter on Feb. 24.

The Minister said that more than 10,400 Vietnamese workers were in Libya and up to Feb. 24 they were still safe. In complex locations like Benghazi and Tripoli , there were about 7,000 Vietnamese workers and most are off work and gathering in safe places. They are provided with food and recommended not to go out.

Minister Ngan further said that right after the violence occurred in Libya , her ministry initiatively coordinated with the Foreign Ministry and relevant agencies to keep watch on the situation through Vietnamese diplomatic agencies abroad and labour management boards in Libya . A list of Vietnamese workers in Libya , their passport numbers and other information were provided to Vietnamese consulate agencies and embassies abroad in case help was needed.

“We are regularly updating the situation and seeking feasible solutions to help Vietnamese workers to evacuate to other countries,” the minister said, adding that a number of Vietnamese workers were brought to Turkey , Malta and Egypt by foreign employers and would return to Vietnam at a later date. Others went to Egypt and Tunisia via land routes and were received by a mission of the Vietnamese Embassy in Egypt in the border area with Libya .

So far, foreign businesses using Vietnamese workers have been working to bring 2,000 Vietnamese workers to Libya ’s neighbouring countries en route to their return to Vietnam .

MoLISA has coordinated closely with the Foreign Ministry and Vietnamese representative agencies in foreign countries to receive and ensure appropriate procedures for the workers.

Also on Feb. 24, MoLISA held a working session with the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Public Security and Vietnam Airlines to work out policies and plan to move Vietnamese workers to the country with the aim of ensuring safety for Vietnamese people in all cases.

The Foreign Ministry also worked with embassies of countries near Libya , asking them to help Vietnamese workers to evacuate safely to their countries.

Minister Ngan also said that the ministry will send missions to Libya ’s neighbouring countries who will then go to Libya by land and sea routes to help Vietnamese workers and seek ways to bring home by air.

“We have also planned for Vietnamese workers to return home from Libya with State support,” the minister said.
The Vietnam Construction Import-Export Corp, which engages in labour export, told the VNA that the first flight with 200 Vietnamese workers from Libya on board will arrive in the Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on Feb. 25.

The same day, Vietnamese Ambassador to Libya Dao Duy Tien granted an interview to VNA’s correspondent to the Middle East, confirming that Vietnamese workers in Libya were safe.

Vietnamese in Libya are all safe, but not working or at school due to the insecure situation. They face difficulties in their daily lives and do not dare to go outside, said the ambassador.

The Embassy maintains regular contact with Vietnamese companies in Libya to exchange information on the situation relating to Vietnamese workers. The embassy has also worked with relevant local agencies and foreign companies using Vietnamese workers, requiring them to ensure safety for Vietnamese workers and providing them with relief as well as moving them to safe places.

The Ambassador stated that on the afternoon of Feb. 23, companies of the Republic of Korea, Brazil and Turkey moved some groups of Vietnamese workers out of Libya and then to Vietnam./.