Nghe An strengthens prevention of illegal entry and residence

Prevent illegal entry

According to the authorities, recently the situation of foreigners illegally entering Nghe An has tended to increase with many methods such as: taking advantage of illegal border crossings, using fake passports, using the names of brokerage companies, study abroad consultants, and tourism services to bring foreigners into the country through tours, visiting relatives to stay in Vietnam illegally.

Some agencies and organizations in the area recruit foreigners to work, after being granted a temporary work permit, but when the work term expires, the subjects falsify work permits from competent authorities to legalize the procedures for extending the stay of foreigners in Vietnam illegally...

In fact, the authorities have detected and prevented a number of cases of illegal immigration.

Typically, on March 23, 2024, in the area of ​​​​National Highway 16, in Na Nieng village, Tri Le commune, Que Phong district, Tri Le Border Guard Station, Drug and Crime Prevention Department (Nghe An Border Guard) presided over, coordinated with Que Phong district police, Tri Le commune police to patrol and control the area, discovered a group of people carrying many household items, showing suspicious signs. Through inspection, there were 8 people of Lao nationality (4 adults and 4 children), without any identification documents or immigration papers.

Authorities identified Xong Ba Tong (born in 1999, residing in Huoi Moi village, Tri Le commune, Que Phong district) as the person who organized for Lao citizens to stay in Vietnam illegally to make illegal profits.

According to the investigation results: previously, due to living in the Vietnam - Laos border area, having an acquaintance, on March 16, 2024, Cu Tho (born in 1992), residing in Tham Khuong village, Muong Duong village cluster, Muong Quan district, Hua Phan province, (Laos), called Xong Ba Tong, residing in Tri Le commune, Que Phong district, asking for help in making identity papers with Vietnamese names for his relatives Po Chua Tho (born in 1999) and Tau Va (born in 2004), both residing in Muong Quan district, Hua Phan province (Laos) to go to work at a rubber company in Ba Ria - Vung Tau province.

The two parties agreed to pay Xong Ba Tong 1,500,000 VND/01 set of documents.

Accepting Cu Tho's request, Xong Ba Tong went home to borrow the ID cards and Citizen Identification Cards of some relatives, photocopy them, then go to the People's Committee of Tri Le commune to request certification and make personal documents for the Lao subjects to record Vietnamese nationality to send these people to the southern provinces to find jobs.

On the morning of March 22, 2024, Tong called to inform Cu Tho that he had completed his personal documents. Hearing Tong say that, Cu Tho and his wife Rai Ly, born in 2024, brought along their two children (born in 2018 and 2020) and their relatives, Po Chua Tho and Tau Va, along with their two children (born in 2020 and 2022), all of whom were Lao nationals, illegally entered Vietnam through a trail and came to stay at Xong Ba Tong's house in Huoi Moi village, Tri Le commune.

At about 2:00 a.m. on March 23, 2024, when Xong Ba Tong led 2 Lao households with 8 members to Na Nieng village, Tri Le commune to catch a bus to the southern provinces of Vietnam to find work, he was discovered and caught red-handed by the authorities. After that, Tri Le Border Guard Station issued a decision to prosecute the case of "Organizing for others to stay in Vietnam illegally" as prescribed in Article 348 of the Penal Code.

In addition, the authorities also discovered a number of cases of illegal entry to commit illegal acts affecting security and order in the area.

Typically, on June 22, 2024, in the Huoi Poc village area, Nam Can commune, Ky Son district, the forces of the Nghe An Border Guard caught red-handed Chu Xeng Lau (also known as Lau Chu Xeng), born in 1975, residing in Tham Poong village, Noong Het Tay village cluster, Noong Het district, Xieng Khouang province, Laos, in the act of illegally trading and transporting drugs.

The seized exhibits included 5 plastic bags containing about 1,000 pink tablets (suspected to be synthetic drugs), and 1 mobile phone. Through the investigation, Chu Xenh Lau confessed that the above mentioned pink tablets were synthetic drugs (pink tablets) transported from across the border to Vietnam for consumption, but when arriving at the above location, he was discovered and arrested.

Previously, in the early morning of June 1, 2024, at Nhot Lot village, My Ly commune, Ky Son district, the functional forces also coordinated and caught Va Xenh Tho (born in 1993, residing in Huoi Pa village, Muong Duong village cluster, Muong Quan district, Hua Phan province, Laos) illegally transporting 6,000 synthetic drug pills from across the border to Vietnam for consumption.

Illegal entry or organizing illegal immigration not only violates the law, violates border regulations, causes insecurity and disorder, but also causes difficulties in state management.

According to Dr., Lawyer Nguyen Trong Hai - Director of Trong Hai and Associates Law Firm: Depending on the level and consequences, those who illegally bring others into Vietnam or stay in Vietnam illegally may be subject to administrative sanctions or criminal liability. Specifically, according to the provisions of Decree No. 167/2013/ND-CP of the Government, the act of "organizing, guiding or brokering for others to illegally enter or exit Vietnam" can be fined from 30-40 million VND.

Regarding criminal liability: Pursuant to Articles 347 and 348 of the 2015 Penal Code (amended and supplemented in 2017), the act of bringing others into Vietnam illegally or assisting, harboring, concealing, or facilitating others to enter or stay in Vietnam illegally... can be fined up to 50 million VND or imprisoned from 6 months to 15 years.

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From 2023 to present, the authorities of Nghe An province have discovered, prosecuted, investigated, prosecuted, and tried 18 cases with 36 defendants for the crimes of "Organizing illegal entry for others", "Organizing illegal stay in Vietnam for others", "Organizing illegal emigration for others", "Organizing illegal exit for others".

Of which, there are 02 cases with 08 defendants for the crime of "Organizing illegal entry for others", 02 cases with 02 defendants for the crime of "Organizing illegal stay for others in Vietnam", 02 cases with 05 defendants for the crime of "Forging fake documents of agencies and organizations".

Strengthening state management

Nghe An province has a 468.281 km long land border adjacent to 3 provinces (Hua Phan, Xieng Khouang, Bolikhamxay) of Laos and 82 km of coastline.

As a specialized force in border management and protection, Nghe An Border Guard has deployed many solutions to prevent illegal entry and exit and residence. In particular, it focuses on propaganda and mobilization of people on both sides of the border to comply with the Agreement on border management regulations and border gates on land between Vietnam and Laos; Protocol on border lines and border markers between Vietnam and Laos; Vietnam Border Law and legal documents on national border management and protection.

Many models of preventing and combating illegal entry and exit have been implemented with high efficiency, such as the crime reporting mailbox model or self-managed border and landmark teams in villages and hamlets.

Patrolling and controlling work; coordinating with functional forces to combat and strictly handle subjects and networks that organize illegal border crossings are also deployed closely and synchronously by Border Guard stations. In 2023 alone, Border Guard forces discovered and handled 40 cases/53 subjects violating illegal entry and exit.

Along with that, the authorities in Nghe An province have strengthened the management, inspection and punishment of foreigners who illegally enter the country, reside without declaration and other violations of the law on residence; inspected and punished the owners of establishments where foreigners reside, individuals and organizations that sponsor or carry out procedures for foreigners who do not comply with the law on declaration of entry and residence of foreigners.

Resolutely investigate and criminally prosecute foreigners who violate criminal law. Strengthen inspection and management of work permit issuance activities for foreigners working at agencies, enterprises and organizations in the area. This includes granting, re-issuing, extending and revoking work permits for foreign workers teaching English at foreign language centers; avoid cases where foreigners are not licensed or use fake work permits to work at foreign language centers in the province.

However, in addition to the involvement of functional agencies, each citizen needs to raise their vigilance; not to assist or cover up activities of bringing foreigners to enter, reside, and work illegally in the province.