Young people attend a university admissions and career guidance fair on overseas study and labour opportunities in Sơn La Province on April 6. — VNA/VNS Photo Trọng Đạt

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam has fulfilled nearly 60 per cent of its annual target for sending workers abroad, with Japan remaining the largest destination for Vietnamese labourers, receiving 28,488 workers in the first half of 2026, according to the Department of Overseas Labour Management under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Speaking at a conference on Friday reviewing activities in the first six months of the year and outlining priorities for the remainder of 2026, the department's Deputy Director Bùi Sỹ Tuấn said that 66,311 Vietnamese workers had been sent overseas during the period, equivalent to 59.2 per cent of the annual target.

Although the figure represented an 11.22 per cent decline, or 8,380 workers fewer than in the same period last year, traditional labour markets continued to demonstrate stability and strong demand for Vietnamese workers.

Japan remained the leading destination with 28,488 workers, followed closely by Taiwan (China) with 28,205. Other major markets included the Republic of Korea (RoK) with 3,373 workers, China with 1,946, Singapore with 968, and Greece with 537, alongside several other destinations.

To maintain and expand employment opportunities, the department actively pursued negotiations in the first half of the year to conclude agreements, memoranda of understanding (MOUs) and labour cooperation treaties with seven countries and territories.

Notable progress was made in accessing high-income markets, including negotiations on an agreement with Saskatchewan Province in Canada, cooperation with Thuringia State in Germany, and an organised recruitment agreement with Russia.

The department is also negotiating with Japan on the Employment for Skill Development (ESD) programme, discussing the deployment of skilled and technical workers to RoK, preparing to sign an MOU with Albania and revising the existing MOU with Taiwan (China).

Alongside market expansion efforts, protecting the legitimate rights and interests of overseas workers has remained a top priority.

The department has worked closely with Vietnamese labour management boards and diplomatic missions abroad to regularly monitor the situation of Vietnamese trainees and workers.

Recruitment agencies have been instructed to promptly resolve cases involving occupational accidents and other risks, ensure full payment of wages and insurance benefits, and guide workers' families in accessing support from the Overseas Employment Support Fund.

Amid increasingly complex global developments, the department has also closely monitored labour markets in the Middle East and stands ready to implement protection measures and ensure the safety of Vietnamese workers if necessary.

Tuấn said inspections and supervision of recruitment enterprises had been conducted rigorously. Through seven specialised inspection missions during the first half of the year, the department issued seven administrative penalties totalling VNĐ635 million (US$24,300).

The department also promptly handled 43 complaints and petitions related to the activities of both licensed and unlicensed labour export companies.

For the second half of 2026, the Ministry of Home Affairs aims to meet its target of sending 112,000 workers abroad and is striving to raise the figure to 150,000.

To achieve this goal, the department will implement five groups of key tasks through a series of coordinated and concrete measures.

Priority will be given to institutional reforms, including finalising and promulgating amendments to several provisions of Law No. 69/2020/QH14 on Vietnamese guest workers, and proposing a strategy on overseas employment for Vietnamese workers through 2030, with a vision towards 2045.

International negotiations will also be expanded to facilitate labour cooperation agreements with 14 countries and territories across Asia, Europe, the Americas and the Middle East.

In terms of market development, while maintaining its presence in Japan, Taiwan (China) and RoK, the department plans to gradually increase the number of Vietnamese workers in high-income markets with favourable working conditions, particularly in Europe, such as Germany, and North America, including Canada.

These efforts will be promoted through international conferences and labour cooperation forums. The department will also continue implementing cooperative projects, including employment information connectivity initiatives with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and expand the implementation of the Japan-Vietnam Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) programme to recruit candidates for the 14th cohort of nurses and care workers to Japan.

Addressing the conference, Phạm Đình Lộc, General Director of the department, stressed that alongside its regular responsibilities, the agency would devote maximum resources to improving institutions and policy frameworks.

The review and amendment of legal regulations, he said, would be closely aligned with practical realities and emerging management requirements, creating a safe and sustainable foundation for Việt Nam's overseas labour programme. — VNS