The effectiveness of the model "Prevention and control of illegal migration" in a Mong village

Muong Long is a mountainous commune, high in the mountains, with difficult traffic, mainly inhabited by Mong ethnic people with low education level and many difficulties in life. In previous years, the security and order situation in the area was complicated, with illegal migration to Laos emerging. From 2010 to June 2019, 29 households and 138 people were discovered illegally migrating to Laos...

Steering Committee of the propaganda model for the people. Photo: Phan Tuyet

Faced with that situation, implementing the direction of the Nghe An Provincial Police Department on implementing solutions to promote the strength of the political system and the role of the masses in contributing to resolving the security and order situation in Muong Long commune, Ky Son District Police assigned Muong Long Commune Police to advise the Party Committee and the commune government to direct the construction of a model of "Prevention and control of illegal migration".

June 2019, the model "Prevention of illegal immigration" was established. Immediately after its launch, the Steering Committee focused on promoting propaganda through various forms such as building billboards, posters, banners, and propaganda slogans; creating reports and hundreds of news stories in the Mong ethnic language broadcast on the village's loudspeaker system. In addition, organizing meetings with people, taking advantage of propaganda through the village elders and prestigious people, and going to each house, directly meeting and persuading individuals; organizing dialogues with households that illegally migrated back to their localities or intend to migrate...

Launching the model of "Prevention and control of illegal migration" in Muong Long commune, Ky Son district. Photo: Phan Tuyet

Through propaganda work, the Steering Committee of the model has informed people about current events in the country, important policies and legal regulations related to ethnic minorities, especially specifically disseminating the Vietnam-Laos border regulations; legal regulations on drug prevention; the harmful consequences of illegal migration, etc.

With a core role, Muong Long Commune Police advised the commune government to establish People's Patrol Teams in 13/13 villages.

Every night, we arrange patrols in villages and routes where illegal migration activities may take place and where people may take advantage of the migration situation to buy, sell, and transport drugs from Laos to Vietnam. When detecting households intending to migrate, the patrol team will directly go there to mobilize, monitor, and deter, combined with assigning forces to block routes in and out of the village to promptly prevent them. Thanks to that drastic solution, some households have given up their intention to migrate...

Lieutenant Colonel Vu Ba Tenh - Chief of Muong Long Commune Police, Ky Son District, Deputy Head of the Steering Committee for the model "Prevention and control of illegal immigration"

Up to now, Muong Long Commune Police have organized 366 patrols with more than 2,200 members participating.

On the other hand, the Commune Police have done a good job of managing residence and household registration, especially the number of citizens in the area who work illegally or leave the locality without clear reasons; the number of subjects who have activities of enticing and luring households in the village to go to Laos to live; regularly and effectively maintaining 26 crime reporting mailboxes in the village. Thereby, promptly detecting and coordinating with functional forces to resolve 42 cases of internal conflicts and disputes within the masses right at the grassroots level, expelling 56 strangers who showed signs of suspected propaganda, enticing and luring people to migrate; detecting and handling 8 cases, 11 subjects violating drug laws, and criticizing 19 subjects in front of the people. Up to now, Muong Long commune has achieved "3 nos": no drugs; no crime and no migration, which has been recognized and highly appreciated by the Party Committee, government and the masses.

Police of Muong Long commune, Ky Son district, propagate to people to understand the consequences of illegal migration. Photo: Phan Tuyet

The highlight of the model is the participation and close coordination between sectors and social organizations in supporting the development of household economy for ethnic minorities. Accordingly, the women's group is responsible for propagating and mobilizing female members; the mediation group is responsible for reconciling conflicts and disputes among the people; the front group organizes training and experience and assists households in borrowing bank loans to develop the family economy; the youth group organizes cultural, artistic, sports and propaganda activities. Thereby, grasping the thoughts and aspirations and proactively guiding, explaining, and gradually removing difficulties and obstacles for the people, contributing significantly to restraining and preventing illegal migration.

With good and drastic measures, up to now, the life of Muong Long people has changed a lot, Mong people have been aware of stabilizing their lives to develop the economy.

Muong Long has now changed its appearance, the traffic system, irrigation works have been completely built, the people's houses are quite spacious. The people trust and comply well with the Party's policies and guidelines, the State's policies and laws, live a settled life, work and produce with peace of mind, and have a stable life. Many households have risen to develop their economy quite well, such as Vu Tong Po's household (Muong Long 1 village), Lau Cho Chenh's household, and Ba Sai's household (Muong Long 2 village)...

Notably, since the model of “Prevention and control of illegal migration” came into operation, there has been no case of illegal migration to Laos. From June 2019 to now, 5 households with 18 people who previously migrated to Laos have voluntarily returned to their locality with the hope that the government will pay attention to them and support them to stabilize their lives in the long term.

Lieutenant Colonel Vu Ba Tenh - Chief of Muong Long Commune Police

The model of "Prevention and control of illegal immigration" in Muong Long commune, Ky Son district is considered a bright spot in the Movement of All People to Protect National Security, which needs to be replicated.