HÀ NỘI – It’s business as usual for around 1,800 Vietnamese workers in Qatar, as the Middle Eastern nation faces the biggest diplomatic crisis in decades, the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) has announced.

Deputy Minister Doãn Mậu Diệp spoke to the press yesterday after meeting with enterprises that have sent workers to Qatar. He said that Vietnamese workers in Qatar are mostly in the construction, welding, home electrical and refrigerator industries. The ministry’s Department of Overseas Labour has requested enterprises sending workers to Qatar to check and report the number of workers, their information, and their contractors so that support and protection measures can be taken if necessary.

“The current situation is not worrisome. Vietnamese workers all work for prestigious contractors.

“However, in the worst case scenario, the ministry will withdraw all workers and bring them back to Việt Nam to ensure their safety. The cost for this will be covered by the Fund for supporting overseas jobs after receiving the Prime Minister’s approval,” Diệp said.

The ministry has also directed enterprises to temporarily suspend new worker contracts to Qatar and has ordered relevant agencies to keep a close watch on developments in the Middle East and prepare necessary measures to support Vietnamese workers. 

If there are any requests for support, Qatar-based Vietnamese workers can contact the Vietnamese Embassy in Qatar at +974 4412 8480, +974 4412 8365 or contact the hotline of the Department of Overseas Labour  at + 84 98 7476 466, +84 90 4240 467, or +84 4 393666633.

The Qatar crisis broke out after several Arab Gulf and African countries on Monday cut diplomatic ties with Qatar and suspended all Qatar-bound flights, accusing the country of supporting extremism. – VNS