1. Presented by : Vu Hong Minh Chief of the Office Department of Overseas Labour Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs

2. I. Briefing on Overseas Labour Migration in Vietnam: Past and Present II. Recent Facts and Figures III. Policies of the Government IV. Practices and Situation Analysis

3.  Vietnam was liberated and united in 1975.  Started to send workers to work in Communist Countries such as Russia, Germany, Bulgaria … under Labour Cooperation Program in 1980s  In 1990s the Program stopped  In 2000s the Government issued licenses for manpower companies to send workers abroad to work.  The Law on Vietnamese workers working abroad came into effect on 1 July 2007.

4. By Law, there are 4 formal channels for workers to work abroad:  Under the contract signed with Licensed Companies  Under the form of trainees, internees by overseas intership progams  Under Vietnam’s investment projects  Under individual contract directly signed with the foreigner employer

5.  About 80.000 – 85.000 workers going to work abroad.  30-33 percents are female workers  4 main markets: Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and Malaysia  500.000 workers in 40 countries and territories.  Most of workers are low skilled  There is a trend of high-skilled or professional workers going abroad in some professions such as 3G- 6G welders, nurses, air-attendants….

6. To encourage Workers working abroad under fixed-time contracts in order to: 1. Increase the income and family living standard; 2. Improve the Profesional skills and working principles; 3. Update the technique and improve the foreign language… 4. Decrease the employment burden in the local provinces

7. Recent Projects 1. To facilitate workers in poor districts (62 districts in 20 provinces of Vietnam) to work abroad in free- of- charge training, supporting health check fee, passport fee…. 2. To encourage workers learn professions, upgrade their skills before working abroad 3. To corporate with ILO, UNWOMEN, IOM in LMM

8.  There are around 170 licensed manpower companies. They send 80.000 workers working abroad overseas under contracts.  However, there are also non-licensed companies and brokers dealing in this business to send worker overseas through informal channels: tourist visas, over-stayed status… The workers became the victims of forced labour and labour trafficking.  There are a number of workers working abroad by individual contracts and they are often unrecognised or unreported

9.  Department of Overseas Labour, Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs is the Department in Charge of Managing Licensed Companies and Workers working abroad through official channels (recognised by Law)  Ministry of Police in charge of dealing with unlicensed companies, brokers…  Ministry of Foreign Affairs in charge of managing issues relating to Vietnamese Overseas. If they are workers through official channels, they will convert the case to Ministry of Labour.

11. Vu Hong Minh Department of Overseas Labour Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs vhlm78@yahoo.com minhvh@molisa.gov.vn minhvh@dolab.gov.vn