Vietnam, UK strengthen fight against illegal migration

Vietnam and the UK have signed an agreement to increase cooperation on tackling illegal migration and stopping Vietnamese people risking their lives by crossing the English Channel.

Senior Colonel Vu Van Hung, deputy director general of the Department of Immigration under Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security, and Minister for Countering Illegal Migration Michael Tomlinson signed a joint statement of cooperation during the second UK-Viet Nam Migration Dialogue in London on Wednesday.

The agreement comes as an increasing number of Vietnamese migrants have arrived in the UK via small boats this year. From 2018 to the end of 2023, there were 3,356 Vietnamese small boat arrivals, putting Vietnam in the top 10 countries, according to UK government data.

In 2019, 39 Vietnamese nationals, aged between 15 and 44, died in a frozen container when they were being trafficked from Belgium into the UK.

“This agreement is an important step with a valued partner to ensure we are working in lockstep to end exploitation by people-smuggling gangs, and to save lives. Only through continued close cooperation with our international partners will we dismantle the criminal networks profiting from this evil trade, and stop the boats,” said Tomlinson.

Senior Colonel Vu Van Hung said: “Apart from collaborations in trade, education, research, technology innovation and climate change, tackling illegal migration and human trafficking is hugely important and mutually beneficial to both countries. We are committed to working together on ensuring safe and legal routes and protecting victims of human trafficking.”

Before that, Home Secretary James Cleverly on Monday had spoken with his Vietnamese counterpart General To Lam and agreed a strong set of measures to tackle visa abuse, enhance intelligence sharing, increase deterrence messages, and continue a successful returns process for illegal migrants from the UK to their home country.

In March, the Home Office launched a social media campaign in Vietnam to highlight the risks of crossing the Channel in small boats.

The first UK-Vietnam Migration Dialogue was held in Hanoi on August 15, 2022, and the next dialogue will be hosted by Vietnam again next year.