83 Lao people who married out of wedlock in Nghe An border area were granted Vietnamese citizenship.
(Baonghean.vn) - 83 out of 107 Lao people who are married without a legal marriage and currently living in 10 communes and towns in Ky Son district (Nghe An) have completed procedures for naturalization and marriage registration this time. These are cases on the list of cases allowed to stay and reside as approved by the Head of the Vietnam Border Delegation.
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| Lao women married out of wedlock residing in Keng Du and Dooc May communes are excited to go through the procedures for naturalization and marriage registration. Photo: KL |
On June 13-14, the working group of the Department of Civil Status, Nationality and Authentication (Ministry of Justice) coordinated with the Department of Justice of Nghe An, the Border Guard of Nghe An, the Police of Nghe An province and local authorities to carry out procedures for naturalization of Vietnamese nationality for Lao people who are not married and currently residing in Ky Son district.
| Carrying out procedures for naturalization and marriage registration for Lao people in Keng Du commune, Ky Son district. Clip: Duy Khanh |
To facilitate people, especially in remote areas with difficult transportation, two working groups led by Mr. Nguyen Cong Khanh - Director of the Department of Civil Status, Nationality and Authentication (Ministry of Justice) and Mr. Nguyen Cong Hoan - Deputy Director of the Department of Justice of Nghe An went directly to the commune clusters to carry out procedures for naturalization and marriage registration for Lao people residing in 10 communes and towns of Ky Son district, including Keng Du, Doc May, My Ly, Bac Ly, Nam Can, Huoi Tu, Muong Long, Tay Son, Ta Ca and Muong Xen town.
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| Officials from the Department of Civil Status, Nationality and Authentication (Ministry of Justice) guide people to fill out information to fill out the naturalization application form according to the form. Photo: KL |
In general, the procedures are simple and quick, people only need to bring their household registration book, fill in their personal information for the judicial officer to fill in the form and take a photo to complete the file. All difficulties and problems are explained and resolved on the spot. Thanks to the advance propaganda work and close coordination between relevant sectors, most of the Lao people who are married without marriage (mainly women) living in the communes in Ky Son district have grasped the policy and gathered in large numbers at the announced locations to complete the procedures for obtaining Vietnamese nationality.
Most of the unmarried Lao women residing in the border communes of Ky Son district cannot read or write. Photo: KL
For example, at Keng Du commune, there were 6 cases of marriage procedures, 27/29 cases of naturalization procedures; at Nam Can commune, there were 23/25 cases of naturalization procedures. Only a few people were absent because they were working far away and could not return in time or because they had returned to their old country (Laos) and did not wish to acquire Vietnamese nationality.
According to the announcement in Official Dispatch No. 1178/BNG-UBBG dated April 4, 2019 of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam, there are 202 Lao people who are married without a legal marriage in the border area of Nghe An province (Vietnam) bordering the provinces (Hua Phan, Bolikhamxay, Xieng Khouang) of Laos who are allowed to stay in their place of residence. Of which, Ky Son district has 107 cases.
However, only 83 cases are eligible for simplified naturalization procedures, while 24 cases (married after the date of signing the agreement (July 8, 2013) between the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Government of the Lao PDR on resolving the issue of free migration and unregistered marriage in the border areas of the two countries) if they wish to still obtain citizenship but must carry out the procedures according to the provisions of the Law on Normal Nationality.
 Completion of procedures for granting Vietnamese nationality to Lao people who married without a marriage certificate in border districts of Nghe An province will be completed in July 2019. Photo: KL |
Speed up the assigned progress
Mr. Nguyen Cong Hoan - Deputy Director of Nghe An Department of Justice said: After receiving the notice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam about the list approved by the Head of the border delegation of the two countries, on April 24, 2019, Nghe An Provincial People's Committee issued Plan 250/KH-UBND assigning tasks to relevant departments and branches to simplify procedures for naturalization, birth registration, and marriage for Lao migrants who are allowed to reside in Vietnam and Vietnamese citizens returned by Laos.
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| Ms. Luong Thi Xom, born in 1989 in Huoi Khoong village, Noong Het commune, Xieng Khouang province (Laos), married a Vietnamese man in 2008, currently residing in Keo Con village, Keng Du commune (Ky Son) happily went with her youngest daughter to complete the procedures for obtaining Vietnamese nationality. Photo: KL |
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| Mr. Hoc Pho Tho and his wife, Mrs. Hoc Me Tho, in Huoi Phuon 2 village, Keng Du commune, happily walked home hand in hand after completing the marriage registration and naturalization procedures. Mrs. Hoc Me Tho is a Laotian who followed her husband to Vietnam and gave birth to 5 children, but the couple has not registered their marriage. Photo: K. L |
At the request of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the progress of work related to the number of Lao migrants and unregistered marriages allowed to reside in the border area of Nghe An province will be completed by November 2019.