Vietnam cracks down on undocumented workers
(VOV) - Tighter enforcement of rules designed to ensure that foreign workers are in the country legally is underway, said Colonel Nguyen Van Anh of the Immigration Management Office in Ho Chi Minh City at a recent dialogue.
Anh said the borders are too porous and far too many people are sneaking into the country without obtaining a visa or they obtain a tourist visa legally just to enter the country with no intention of complying with its conditions.
“The problems with tourist visas and illegal immigration are twofold,” said Anh.
The first is that anyone entering the country on a tourist visa is not authorized to work during their stay, yet far too many are indeed seeking employment in violation of the law.
The second is that significant numbers of those entering the country on tourist visas fail to leave by the expiration date of their visa and continue working.
Truong Le My Ngoc of the Employment Division in Ho Chi Minh City, pointed out a third dimension to the problem and noted many domestic companies in fact encourage foreign workers to illegally work in the country.