Travellers from India and Vietnam are in limbo at Sao Paulo's Guarulhos Airport. — AFP/VNA Photo

HÀ NỘI — An unspecified number of Vietnamese citizens are among the 666 illegal migrants without visas stranded at the international airport in Brazil's Sao Paulo, the foreign ministry's spokesperson Phạm Thu Hằng said on Thursday.

Acting on the foreign ministry's directives, the embassy of Việt Nam in Brazil has been working closely with authorities in Brazil in order to keep themselves updated and to implement necessary protection measures.

According to reports, the migrants are being kept in a restricted area, with minimal movements allowed, making for very challenging conditions with few basic supplies. Most of these illegal migrants are from Asia and are seeking to stay in Brazil as a place to stop before continuing a fraught journey through Central American countries and finally reaching the United States from the southern border, prompting human trafficking and migrant smuggling fears.

Hằng reiterated that Việt Nam's consistent policy is to promote safe, orderly and legal migration, with the emphasis on preventing human trafficking.

To prevent illegal, unsafe migration through unofficial channels, or the actions which take advantage of the migration routes, the foreign ministry and relevant authorities have made recommendations to promote the official channels for migration, as well as raising awareness of the public regarding of the risks of illegal migration, the spokesperson noted.

The foreign ministry also advised that the people do proper research on the laws and regulations of the destination country, as well as the countries of transit while migrating.

"We are also promoting the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration in accordance with Decision 402 signed on March 20 of 2020 by the Prime Minister to promote transparent and safe migration, in the interest and rights of all people," the foreign spokesperson stressed. — VNS