Nghe An: Many units send people to study abroad but in fact export labor

On the morning of October 11, the Standing Committee of the Provincial People's Council had a meeting with the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs and the Department of Education and Training under the program of supervising the settlement of voters' petitions in the province. Comrade Cao Thi Hien - Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairwoman of the Provincial People's Council chaired the meeting. Photo: Mai Hoa

690 international students arrested

At the meeting, raising the issue of voters and people's concerns in the management of sending people to study abroad and exporting labor; Deputy Head of the Culture - Social Committee of the Provincial People's Council Nguyen Thi Lan presented the actual operations of companies, labor export service centers with study abroad consulting and study abroad consulting with labor export.

In particular, the introduction and consultation on working conditions, study conditions and income of workers and students abroad are inconsistent with reality, causing difficulties for workers.

Orientation and education on the awareness of complying with the laws of the host country for workers before going abroad have not received attention.

Although there are clear regulations that study abroad consulting units must be responsible for managing and periodically reporting the situation of international students in the host country to the relevant authorities, in reality, after sending them abroad, they do not care.

Vocational training associated with labor export orientation. Illustration photo: Mai Hoa

The Deputy Head of the Culture - Social Committee of the Provincial People's Council added that in 2018, in a letter to the Chairman of the People's Council of Nghe An province, Nguyen Xuan Son, Mr. Umeda Kunio - Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Vietnam provided information: In 2017, the number of cases of foreigners in Japan being arrested for criminal offenses by country, Vietnam ranked first with 3,591 cases; in which, the number of cases of arrests with the status of residence as international students was the highest, with 690 cases.

The reason for this situation is that workers and international students were deceived by some Japanese and Vietnamese companies, forcing them to shoulder large debts, leading to extremely difficult situations when they come to Japan.

Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training Nguyen Van Khoa admitted the shortcomings and limitations in the management of study abroad consulting units. Photo: Mai Hoa

Admitting that the management of companies and study abroad consulting centers of the industry has not been effective in the past, Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training Nguyen Van Khoa said that through inspections and checks of the industry, there are some units that have not publicly disclosed service fees and signed contracts that are not in accordance with regulations; there are study abroad consulting units that do not have the function of exporting labor but still do so; there are units that send people to study abroad but in fact they are exporting labor.

Director of the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs Doan Hong Vu explained some concerns and proposals of the Standing Committee of the Provincial People's Council's monitoring delegation. Photo: Mai Hoa

More than 13,000 illegal workers in other countries

Through the meeting, the Standing Committee of the Provincial People's Council acknowledged the serious reception and attention paid to resolving voters' recommendations by the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs on the basis of advising the Provincial People's Committee to issue and implement many plans and documents in the field.

Since the beginning of the term, the labor, war invalids and social affairs sector has received 70 opinions and recommendations from voters, focusing on policies for people with meritorious services; vocational training, job creation, labor export; salary regime, social insurance, etc.

The Standing Committee of the Provincial People's Council also recommended that the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs continue to implement solutions to strengthen the management of labor export activities and free labor migration to China, Thailand, Laos, etc.; in conjunction with paying attention to training, orientation, and legal dissemination for workers.

Regarding vocational training for rural workers, it is necessary to pay attention to surveying learners' needs, avoiding the current situation of "spreading blindly"; focusing on removing obstacles, and solving well policies for people with meritorious services...

Currently, the province has more than 13,000 workers without contracts in other countries; there are many potential risks to workers such as kidnapping, extortion, human trafficking, and social evils.

Concluding the meeting, the Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council acknowledged the participation of the two Departments in resolving voters' petitions in the management field; especially the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs has focused on resolving many problems and shortcomings, contributing to reducing voters' concerns and reflections, and currently voters' opinions mainly focus on the group of desired proposals.

The Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council also recommended that the two Departments continue to review and focus on resolving voters' recommendations under their authority; closely follow up, urge, guide and direct districts to resolve recommendations repeatedly raised by voters at the district level; focus on rectifying labor export and study abroad consulting activities and especially improving ethics for units, avoiding propaganda and introduction to people with labor export and study abroad needs that are not in line with reality.