Đồng Tháp Province's border guards ask for information of Vietnamese citizens who have been caught illegally entering Việt Nam from Cambodia. — VNA/VNS Photo Phú Quý

HÀ NỘI — Spokesperson for the foreign ministry Lê Thị Thu Hằng on Thursday acknowledged that there “have been certain changes in Việt Nam's immigration policies” in recent times due to COVID-19 developments.

She made the statement at the ministry’s regular press conference held online in Hà Nội, in response to media questions over reports of many foreigners leaving Việt Nam in what has been described by some as an ‘exodus’ due to a crackdown on illegal immigration.

The spokesperson did not point to a specific policy but in early May, well into the fourth wave of infections in Việt Nam, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs issued a dispatch telling local governments to tighten control over foreign labourers working in Việt Nam, including the measure of “deporting foreign workers without work permits or those failing to comply with entry and exit rules applicable to foreigners in Việt Nam”.

The move was in line with the complex developments of COVID-19 in the country and to stop illegal foreigners entering Việt Nam for jobs in a way that is not in line with the law.

Hằng added: “Việt Nam’s consistent position – as reflected in the situation on the ground – is that the authorities have been providing optimal conditions to foreign labourers in Việt Nam and have always been striving to ensure the security and safety of foreigners residing, working and studying in our country.” — VNS