Consequences of illegal labor export

Kidnapped, blackmailed, killed while working illegally

In August 2019, Nghe An police received consecutive reports of illegal workers working in China being kidnapped by Vietnamese people, who then called their relatives to ask for ransom. Within just 3 months, there were at least 4 cases reporting similar incidents. Among them was the case of Ms. Nguyen Thi Hien (24 years old, Nam Loc commune, Nam Dan district), who was kidnapped by 2 Vietnamese people on her way home from work on the afternoon of May 3, 2019.

According to the family's report, Ms. Hien and her husband, Mr. Nguyen Van Cong, went to work at a wood factory in China a long time ago, illegally. Up to now, more than 3 months have passed since the 187 million VND was transferred in full as requested by the kidnappers, but they still have not released them.

Many families in Nghe An set up altars to remember their children who lost contact while working illegally in the UK. Photo: Tien Hung

Previously, in mid-July 2019, Quynh Luu District Police received a report from Ms. Tran Thi Huong (53 years old, Quynh Thang Commune), about her family receiving a strange phone call with a foreign number, informing her that her son, Mr. Nguyen Huu Quan (31 years old), had been kidnapped, demanding a ransom of 200 million VND. Not long ago, Quan followed a friend to Guangdong Province (China), working illegally.

In Quy Chau district, Ms. Vi Thi Hue in Ta Lanh village, Chau Hanh commune said that she and 14 members of her family and relatives had worked illegally in China. During her time in China, she encountered many cases of Vietnamese people who had gone illegally to find work and lost their lives in a foreign land.

Vietnamese workers wait at Lang Son Border Gate to illegally go to China to find work. Photo: Archive

In Quy Chau district, in 2017 there were 365 illegal workers going to China and in the first 6 months of 2019 there were 113.

In the border district of Xiangyang, up to now there are 2,928 people working illegally abroad, most of them in China.

The Immigration Department (Nghe An Provincial Police) said that in 2018 alone, the authorities discovered 1,800 cases of illegal labor exit to China. The unit handled 422 cases, mainly through Laos and China.

According to statistics from the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, in Nghe An, the number of people working illegally abroad in 2016 was 11,378 people (of whom 5,488 worked in China), and in 2018 it was 8,123 people (of whom 3,143 worked in China).

According to information given at the workshop "Migration Information Office: Good practices and new migration trends" organized by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Department of Overseas Labor Management (under the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs) in coordination with the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs of Nghe An province on the morning of May 7, 2019, there are still 12,435 Nghe An workers working in border areas without labor contracts as prescribed by the Law on Vietnamese Workers Working Abroad. In addition, there are 1,014 workers working in border areas and exporting labor without contracts as prescribed, mainly concentrated in Laos, China and Thailand.

Prevent illegal labor brokerage organizations

In early October 2019, in some villages located near National Highway 7A, in Chieu Luu commune (Ky Son), many leaflets appeared recruiting illegal workers, with "huge" salaries to entice people.

People in Khe Tang village, Chieu Luu commune (Ky Son) reported: Many illegal labor recruitment flyers were posted everywhere in the village with the content of recruiting female workers, aged 18 - 25, to work as karaoke bar waitresses with an average salary of 12 to 15 million VND and accommodation.

Chieu Luu Commune authorities said that these were illegal labor recruitment leaflets, as there was no specific agency or address for labor recruitment. The authorities have sent forces to remove all of these leaflets. At the same time, they warned people not to believe and go to work under these types of illegal labor recruitment.

In July 2019, the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam also announced a list of 11 companies whose visa application representative status was temporarily suspended for a period of 6 months from June 1 to December 1, 2019. In Nghe An, there is one unit, Sekai Education Company Limited, located at 126 Ly Tu Trong Street, Ha Huy Tap Ward, Vinh City.

On October 26, the Foreign Security Agency of Nghe An Province Police officially issued a decision to prosecute a criminal case to clarify the act of "Organizing and brokering others to flee abroad or stay abroad illegally". Along with the decision to prosecute this criminal case, the Foreign Security Agency of Nghe An Province Police also temporarily detained 4 people involved in the network of sending people abroad to work and reside illegally.

Among the 4 people prosecuted and temporarily detained, 1 person has a registered residence in Hanoi, the rest are from Nghe An.

Accordingly, 4 defendants were prosecuted and temporarily detained for the act of "Organizing and brokering others to flee abroad or stay abroad illegally" including: Le Duy Anh (40 years old, permanent residence in Quang Tien commune, Soc Son district, Hanoi); Ho Thi Hang (54 years old, residing in Truong Thi ward, Vinh city) and Tran Thi Ha (45 years old, residing in Thai Hoa town, Nghe An), Tran Thi Thanh (60 years old, residing in Hung Phuc ward, Vinh city).

Authorities identified Le Duy Anh as the Director of Chan Hung Study Abroad Consulting Training Center (located in Thanh Xuan district, Hanoi) and also the leader of this network.

The driver of the container that transported 39 victims from France to a port in Belgium, who later died in the UK, has been arrested. File photo

From September 2015 until his arrest (October 2019), Le Duy Anh and his associates recruited workers to work in Australia. Specifically, this group received more than 400 applications and hundreds of thousands of dollars to complete exit procedures to Australia for the workers. However, no worker has been able to leave the country.

Regarding the issue of sending people abroad to work and reside illegally, in the latest development of the case of 39 bodies discovered in a container in the UK.

People who illegally exit or enter the country will be administratively sanctioned according to Article 17, Decree 167/2013 of the Government, specifically: Fine from 3 to 5 million VND for crossing the border without completing exit and entry procedures as prescribed; Fine from 15 to 25 million VND for helping, harboring, concealing, creating conditions for others to go abroad, stay abroad and Vietnam, stay in Vietnam or cross the national border illegally.

Article 349 of the Penal Code stipulates: Anyone who organizes or brokers another person to flee abroad or stay abroad illegally shall be sentenced to imprisonment from 1 year to 5 years; committing the crime multiple times or causing serious or very serious consequences shall be sentenced to imprisonment from 5 years to 10 years; committing the crime causing especially serious consequences shall be sentenced to imprisonment from 7 years to 15 years.