(VOVWORLD) - The Vietnamese government has always considered preventing illegal migration and fighting human trafficking to be regular, long-term political tasks. Along with implementing specific solutions to prevent and combat human trafficking, Vietnam has constantly fine tuned its legal system and actively cooperated with the international community to combat human trafficking.
 Vietnamese forces receive a baby, who was sold to China. (photo: Nguyen Hoang/VNA) |
Human trafficking is identified by the UN as one of the four most dangerous types of crime, mentioned in the Global Crime Prevention Program.
Protecting migrants, preventing human trafficking
The Vietnamese government and localities have implemented a program on preventing and combating human trafficking in all fields for the 2021-2025 period.
 Spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang (Photo: VNA) |
Spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang said, “Vietnam has achieved many important results in human trafficking, including strengthening inter-sectoral coordination, improving statistics work, dealing with human trafficking, and enhancing communications to raise public awareness. Vietnam has strived to implement the Global Agreement on Safe and Orderly Legal Migration to strengthen a transparent migration environment, protect the legitimate rights and interests of migrants, and prevent human trafficking in international migration.”
Since the government announced the program on anti-human trafficking , ministries and localities have carried out measures within their functions and authority. Regulations and legal documents on human trafficking prevention have been revised. Support policies for human trafficking victims have been adjusted, with increased money for food for victims who are temporarily fed and cared for by the community.
In July 2022, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Defense, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs signed a coordination mechanism to receive, protect, and help human trafficking victims.
The Law on Vietnamese Guest Workers, which took effect in January 2022, has better protected the legitimate rights and interests of Vietnamese workers abroad and prevented human trafficking.
July 30 is observed annually as All-People's Day to Prevent and Fight Human Trafficking, aiming to mobilize resources and promote the synergy of the political system and society to stop human trafficking.
International cooperation
International cooperation in human trafficking prevention has gained positive results. At the national level, Vietnam has strived to implement the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration to create a transparent migration environment, protect the legitimate rights and interests of migrants, and prevent the risk of human trafficking in international migration.
Unfortunately, Vietnam's anti-trafficking efforts were not fully and accurately recognized in a recent report by the US State Department on human trafficking, which mentioned Vietnam along with several other countries.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang said, “Vietnam acknowledges that the US State Department had a more positive assessment in its 2023 report. In that spirit, Vietnam hopes that the two sides will continue to cooperate closely in the future so that the US will have a more objective, accurate, and comprehensive assessment of Vietnam's position.”
Ministries and localities at all levels continue to implement bilateral and multilateral cooperation agreements on human trafficking prevention, prepare for the meeting of the Coordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative against Trafficking (COMMIT) in the Greater Mekong Sub-region and the COMMIT Steering Committee meeting proposed by Thailand.
The Vietnamese police and border forces have worked with China, Laos, and Cambodia to maintain regular hotlines to exchange information, coordinate in investigating and arresting criminals, and helping trafficking victims.
The Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other ministries and localities are ready to discuss with the US and other relevant parties and cooperate in specific cases in order to effectively combat human trafficking in Vietnam and the world.