Director of the Consular Department under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Doãn Hoàng Minh. — Photo baoquocte.vn

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in coordination with domestic authorities and Vietnamese diplomatic missions overseas, continues to help and protect Vietnamese citizens and legal entities abroad.

During an interview with Thế giới & Việt Nam (World & Việt Nam) newspaper, Director of the Consular Department, Doãn Hoàng Minh, highlighted significant achievements in citizen protection during the first half of this year and outlined future strategic directions.

Could you please provide an update on citizen protection efforts in the first six months of 2024?

As more Vietnamese citizens travel abroad for various purposes, the volume and complexity of citizen protection efforts have increased.

Building on the success of the late-2023 rescue campaign, that repatriated over one thousand five hundred citizens from northern Myanmar, the Consular Department and Vietnamese representative agencies overseas have been closely monitoring and vigorously implementing citizen protection measures since early 2024. Citizens facing difficulties abroad have received prompt and effective assistance.

In the current global context, with prolonged and escalating conflicts such as the Russia-Ukraine war and the Middle East turmoil, authorities must have contingency plans ready to protect citizens promptly during unpredictable developments and crises.

The situation of Vietnamese citizens working illegally in gambling and online gaming establishments in several Southeast Asian countries remains complex. The rate of law violations and illegal residency among Vietnamese workers in Northeast Asia is also high.

The dangerous trend of illegal migration to European and North American countries poses significant risks to the lives and property of citizens.

Furthermore, the issue of fishing vessels and fishermen violating foreign waters continues to be intricate. Representative agencies need to persist in implementing measures to support and protect detained or penalised fishermen and fishing vessels at sea.

What measures has the Ministry of Foreign Affairs taken to protect Vietnamese citizens?

For areas of concern such as Russia-Ukraine and the Middle East, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has instructed Vietnamese diplomatic missions there to proactively safeguard citizens. They monitor citizen situations closely, issue timely advisories and prepare evacuation plans as needed.

An incident on March 6, saw the cargo ship M/V True Confidence attacked by rockets and catching fire off Yemen's coast, resulting in three deaths and injuries to four Vietnamese crew members, one of whom died. The Consular Department worked with Vietnamese embassies in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Thailand to repatriate the surviving crew and the deceased crew member's remains, offering condolences to their family.

Since early 2024, the Consular Department has received numerous aid requests from Vietnamese abroad. Many Vietnamese work illegally in gambling establishments in specific regional countries. Vietnamese missions have aided in repatriating about 600 citizens expelled for illegal work practises, including fraud victims.

Though violations have decreased compared to past years, infractions by Vietnamese in zones with many students and labourers are notably high. Besides reacting to events, Vietnamese missions abroad partner with local Vietnamese groups to boost law compliance and spot problems early, preventing community crises.

What plans are being implemented to enhance citizen protection efforts abroad?

Ensuring citizen protection remains a critical mandate for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Vietnamese diplomatic missions abroad.

The future direction will continue to focus on enhancing monitoring and forecasting capabilities to increase proactive readiness and preparedness in citizen protection activities.

Specifically, the Consular Department and Vietnamese diplomatic missions abroad will concentrate on bolstering the role of the Ministry's Steering Committee for citizen protection during significant incidents. This includes refining and promptly executing crisis response protocols to elevate professionalism and effectiveness.

There will be a concerted effort to strengthen collaboration with ministries, sectors and localities to facilitate safe and legal migration, monitor demographic shifts among Vietnamese citizens in different regions and promote robust citizen protection initiatives.

Partnerships with relevant entities will also aim to raise awareness among Vietnamese workers abroad regarding organisational compliance and legal adherence.

Enhanced monitoring and strategic oversight of consular affairs and citizen protection will foster heightened accountability, proactive engagement and timely responses from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Vietnamese diplomatic missions abroad. These efforts will uphold principles of dedicated service, transparency, legality and staunch prevention of corruption and misconduct, safeguarding the rights and legitimate interests of Vietnamese citizens residing abroad. — VNS