Rescued Vietnamese citizens arrived at Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport in HCM City Tuesday morning. — VNA/VNS Photo Xuân Khu

HÀ NỘI — Sixty of the Vietnamese citizens recently rescued from a gambling establishment in Pampanga Province, near Manila, in the Philippines, arrived home early Tuesday morning.

According to the Vietnamese Embassy in the Philippines, local authorities on May 4 rescued more than 1,000 people, including 437 Vietnamese nationals, who were forced to work at a gambling establishment in Pampanga Province.

The Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has ordered the Consular Department and the embassy to work closely with local agencies to visit and assist the Vietnamese nationals and collect their information, especially those without valid travel documents.

The MoFA’s steering board for citizen protection held a meeting on May 25 to seek ways to coordinate with the Philippines to repatriate the citizens as soon as possible.

The Consular Department and the HCM City Department of Foreign Relations have built plans and worked with border gate authorities on the reception and hand-over of the citizens to their families.

The MoFA has demanded the Consular Department and the Vietnamese Embassy in the Philippines maintain contact with authorities to safely repatriate the remainder.

In a recent press briefing, in response to questions about the case, Phạm Thu Hằng, deputy spokesperson for the foreign ministry emphasised that the Vietnamese Government's policy was to promote legal, safe and orderly migration while resolutely fighting illegal migration human smuggling and human trafficking.

Hằng stated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had worked with competent authorities to raise awareness among the people interested in working abroad, to caution them against false promises of 'easy work, high salary' that don't require certification, as they could potentially become victims of labour exploitation of gambling facilities, illegal residence, or even human trafficking. — VNS

Repatriated Vietnamese citizens waiting at customs at Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport in HCM City Tuesday morning. — VNA/VNS Photo