A group of illegal immigrants attack police officers at a holding facility for deportation. — Screencap from the video

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday confirmed the veracity of a recent viral video showing a clash between police and a group of illegal immigrants.

"Through our discussions with relevant competent authorities, we were informed that these foreigners were illegally residing in Việt Nam and have committed acts that violated Vietnamese law," spokesperson for the ministry Phạm Thu Hằng said in response to media queries.

"The Vietnamese law enforcement agencies have steadfastly addressed the situation in accordance with the relevant regulations of Vietnamese law and international law," she said.

The group of immigrants were reportedly staying at a Vietnamese facility awaiting deportation after their papers expired, but they resisted orders and attacked police officers with various items, including fire extinguishers.

The spokesperson also reiterated that Việt Nam's consistent policy is to always provide favourable conditions for foreigners to enter, exit and reside in Việt Nam to study, work, make investment, explore market opportunities, and visit, thereby further promoting Việt Nam's socio-economic development and facilitating people-to-people exchanges.

"And similar to other countries, foreigners entering, exiting and residing in Việt Nam, need to fully comply with relevant regulations of Vietnamese law," Hằng remarked. — VNS