Border guards of the Mekong Delta province of An Giang and relevant forces received 26 Vietnamese citizens handed over by Cambodian authorities at the Tịnh Biên International Border Gate on Thursday. VNA/VNS Photo Huỳnh Thảo

HÀ NỘI – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Việt Nam’s representative agencies in Cambodia have coordinated with the two countries’ authorities to safely repatriate over 600 citizens who had been tricked or lured to Cambodia for illegal work so far.

The agencies are also verifying personal information of some people rescued by the Cambodian side and will help them return home soon.

Under the foreign ministry’s direction, the representative agencies of Việt Nam in Cambodia have worked with local authorities to assist and rescue Vietnamese nationals tricked or lured to work illegally there, and asked Cambodia not to impose administrative fines on these persons.

The ministry’s Consular Department has also proposed domestic agencies and localities bordering Cambodia apply mechanisms for quick verification and reception of the rescued citizens.

The foreign ministry and representative agencies are keeping a close watch on the situation of Vietnamese workers in Cambodia. They are also coordinating with the countries’ authorities to swiftly receive information, rescue, carry out citizen protection measures, and repatriate the ones tricked or lured to work illegally abroad.

On September 1, border guards of the Mekong Delta province of An Giang and relevant forces received 26 Vietnamese citizens handed over by Cambodian authorities at the Tịnh Biên International Border Gate.

Lt. Col. Trần Hòa Hiệp, head of the border guard post at the Tịnh Biên International Border Gate, said the group consist of three women and 23 men, including 11 related to the Rich World casino, from which many workers strived to flee to Việt Nam on August 18.

On August 18, 40 people, comprising 35 men and five women, escaped from the Rich World casino, located in Sampeou Poun commune of Kaoh Thom district in Cambodia’s Kandal province, and swam across the Bình Di River to illegally return to Việt Nam.

Apart from them, one died from drowning on the river and one was captured by casino guards.

They said they were forced to toil and not paid, so they decided to flee to Việt Nam.

Investigating the case, police have uncovered four rings showing signs of human trafficking in some localities.

An Giang police have detained and started legal proceedings against one woman and one man on the charge of arranging illegal exit for other people. VNS