International Migrants Day (18 December)

Rural residents to learn about safe migration

Public events will be organized in target rural areas to enhance self-protection skills and understanding about safe migration and support services available to prevent migrant workers from falling victim to labour exploitation and human trafficking.

Media advisory | 16 December 2013
Language training for future migrant workers in Phu Tho Province. © ILO/Truong Vi
HANOI (ILO News) – A series of public events promoting access to reliable information on costs and legal recruitment channels for safe overseas employment will be held in several northern and central provinces where many people seek jobs outside the country.

Co-organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Ho Chi Minh Central Youth Union and MTV EXIT (End human trafficking and exploitation) Foundation with the support of the Australian Aid and US Agency of International Development (USAID), the exchange programmes aim to enhance self-protection skills and understanding about safe migration and support services available to prevent migrant workers from falling victim to labour exploitation and human trafficking.

The events will start in Thanh Ba and Phu Ninh districts in the northern province of Phu Tho on 17 and 18 December as part of the celebration of the International Migrants Day (18 December) before taking place in different communes in Bac Ninh, Quang Ngai and Thanh Hoa provinces between December 2013 and February 2014

“Lack of awareness puts migrant workers at risks,” said ILO Viet Nam Director Gyorgy Sziraczki. “The contribution of women and men migrants to the growth and development in both their host and home countries is enormous but sadly many of them have been subjected to exploitation, harassment and even human trafficking.”

According to the baseline report conducted in 2011 by the ILO GMS TRIANGLE project to promote the rights of migrant workers, none of the potential migrants in Thanh Hoa and Quang Ngai provinces knew about the detailed costs for migration and the Government’s regulations on service charges, brokerage fees and refunds.

Half of the 300 respondents did not know through which channels to migrate and 95 per cent were not aware of their right to keep their passports when abroad. Two in every three people who planned to seek job abroad knew nothing about the role of trade unions in protecting the rights of workers.


Details on the public events in December are as follows:
 


17 December (07:30-15:30): Phu Tho Electricity College, Thanh Ba District, Phu Tho Province
18 December (07:30-15:30): Tien Du People’s Committee, Phu Ninh District, Phu Tho Province
21 December (19:00-22:00): Hien Van People’s Committee, Tien Du District, Bac Ninh Province
28 December (19:00-22:00): Ngoc Xa Commune Centre, Que Vo District, Bac Ninh Province