Resolutely resolve the situation of illegal migration and unregistered marriages in border areas
(Baonghean.vn) - That is one of the main contents approved at the conference to unify the list of people who migrated freely and got married without a certificate in the border area, jointly organized by the People's Committee of Nghe An province and the Government Committees of the two provinces of Hua Phan and Xieng Khouang of the Lao PDR on the morning of December 28 in Vinh city.
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| Overview of the conference. Photo: Khanh Ly |
Attending the conference, on the side of Nghe An province, there were comrade Le Ngoc Hoa - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; representatives of the Provincial People's Committee Office, relevant departments and branches, leaders of 6 districts sharing the border with Laos including Que Phong, Ky Son, Tuong Duong, Con Cuong, Anh Son, Thanh Chuong.
On the Lao side, there were comrades: Pheng Can Nha Nhim - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Deputy Governor of Hua Phan province; Bun Son Si Nuon Thoong - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Deputy Governor of Xieng Khouang province, members of the joint expert teams of Hua Phan and Xieng Khouang provinces.
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| Lieutenant Colonel Ho Quyet Thang - Deputy Commander - Chief of Staff of Nghe An Border Guard gave the opening speech at the conference. Photo: Khanh Ly |
Implementing the agreement between the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Government of the Lao People's Democratic Republic on resolving the issue of spontaneous migration and unregistered marriages in the border areas of the two countries, the People's Committee of Nghe An province and the People's Committees of the two provinces of Hua Phan and Xieng Khouang have directed the joint expert teams of the two sides to closely coordinate with each other to conduct bilateral investigations, classification and listing of spontaneous migration and unregistered marriages in the border areas between the provinces.
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| Comrade Le Ngoc Hoa - Vice Chairman of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee hopes that in the spirit of solidarity and special friendship, Nghe An province and Hua Phan and Xieng Khouang provinces will closely coordinate to effectively implement the contents and programs agreed upon in the agreement. Photo: Khanh Ly |
In 2018, two joint expert teams from Nghe An province and Hua Phan (Laos) conducted two bilateral surveys; classified and compiled a list of 5 households/23 Vietnamese people who migrated freely and 187 people who got married without a certificate in the two districts of Sam To and Muong Quan, Hua Phan province. All of them are eligible to stay and live in the host country according to the agreed regulations. On the side of Hua Phan province, there are 137 people residing and living in the border area of Que Phong, Tuong Duong, Ky Son districts (Nghe An).
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| Comrade Pheng Can Nha Nhim - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Deputy Governor of Hua Phan Province (Laos) hopes that Nghe An province will create favorable conditions for Lao citizens to live in the border area of Nghe An province. Photo: Khanh Ly |
Two joint expert teams from Nghe An province and Xieng Khouang province (Laos) have conducted three bilateral rounds of investigation, classification and listing of 46 households/253 Vietnamese people who migrated freely and 55 people who got married without legal marriage in the border areas of Muong Moc and Noong Het districts, Xieng Khouang province. Of these, only 1 person was not eligible to stay in the host country because he did not strictly comply with the laws of Laos.
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| Mr. Bun Son Si Nuon Thoong - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Deputy Governor of Xieng Khouang province. Photo: Khanh Ly |
At the conference, the parties assessed that the cooperation process between the two countries' provinces in resolving the issue of free migration and unregistered marriages in the Vietnam-Laos border area was relatively good. The implementation of the agreement was in line with the interests of the two Parties and two States, ensuring the strengthening of the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos in general, Nghe An - Xieng Khouang; Nghe An - Hua Phan in particular, contributing to ensuring national border security between the two countries.
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| The parties signed a memorandum of agreement to resolve the issue of illegal immigration and unregistered marriages in border areas. Photo: Khanh Ly |
The parties also signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen measures to manage and strictly control people in the border areas; promote the dissemination of the agreement on border management regulations and land border gates; and the Protocol on border lines and national border markers between the two governments to end the situation of spontaneous migration and unregistered marriages in the border areas in the provinces of Hua Phan, Xieng Khouang (Laos) and Nghe An (Vietnam). The parties also pledged to actively coordinate with relevant ministries and agencies to soon complete the work of returning and receiving spontaneous migrants who must be returned to their countries of origin; and effectively implement the arrangement of settlement, support and create favorable conditions for returnees to reintegrate into the community.
Guide free migrants and unregistered marriages who are allowed to reside in the host country and those who must return to their country to complete the application to be granted documents on nationality, household registration and other necessary documents to be submitted to the competent state agency for consideration and decision.
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| Leaders of Hua Phan province presented souvenirs to leaders of Nghe An province. Photo: Khanh Ly |
Speaking at the conference, Comrade Le Ngoc Hoa - Vice Chairman of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee hoped that in the spirit of solidarity and special friendship, Nghe An province and Hua Phan and Xieng Khouang provinces will overcome all difficulties, find solutions to remove obstacles; closely coordinate to effectively implement the contents and programs agreed upon in the agreement on solving the problem of spontaneous migration and unregistered marriages in the Vietnam - Laos border area.
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| Xieng Khouang provincial leaders presented souvenirs to Nghe An provincial leaders. Photo: Khanh Ly |
The border area of Nghe An province adjacent to Hua Phan and Xieng Khouang provinces includes 3 districts, 51 communes, 3 towns (of which 17 border communes adjacent to Hua Phan and Xieng Khouang provinces include Thong Thu, Hanh Dich, Nam Giai, Tri Le communes (Que Phong); Nhon Mai, Mai Son (Tuong Duong); My Ly, Bac Ly, Keng Du, Dooc May, Na Loi, Nam Can, Ta Ca, Muong Tip, Muong Ai, Na Ngoi, Nam Can (Ky Son); with 08 ethnic groups living, including (Thai, Kinh, Kho Mu, Mong, Hoa, Tay Poong, O Du).
The people mainly live by farming, slash-and-burn farming, self-sufficiency, low education level, people's lives are still difficult, the poverty rate is high (60% according to the new standard), still heavily on shifting cultivation and nomadic ideology. The relationship between relatives, clans, and families on both sides of the border is close, especially for the Mong people. The situation of free migration and unregistered marriage has a long history, in the current period, it is complicated and tends to increase, mainly in areas where the Mong people live.