10 fishermen stranded in Malaysia get help to return home safely
VOV.VN - The Vietnamese Embassy in Malaysia has helped 10 Vietnamese fishermen stranded in Perak state safely return home after they reported having their passports withheld and lacking food, drinking water and basic living conditions aboard a Malaysian fishing vessel.
The embassy took action shortly after receiving a request for assistance from the Office of the People’s Committee of Ca Mau province on August 27, promptly verifying the information and contacting the fishermen directly.
According to the fishermen, all 10 travelled to Malaysia in February 2026 to work for the owner of a fishing vessel. During their employment, their passports were withheld and they were frequently not provided with sufficient food, drinking water or basic living conditions. At times, they were reportedly left without food for several days.
Facing severe hardship, they contacted their families, who then sought assistance from Vietnamese authorities.
After verifying the case, embassy officials maintained contact with the fishermen, instructed them to move to a safe location and arranged transport for all 10 to Kuala Lumpur.
The embassy also arranged accommodation, food and other necessities for the group, assisted with the required documentation, guided the fishermen in reporting the case to local police, and helped them complete exit procedures with Malaysian immigration authorities.
After nearly a week of assistance in Kuala Lumpur, embassy officials accompanied the group to the airport and helped them complete the necessary procedures to return safely to Vietnam.
The case also serves as a warning to workers planning to seek employment abroad, particularly in response to offers that provide unclear information or promise “easy jobs and high salaries”.
Before making a decision, workers should carefully verify the recruiting organisation, the actual workplace and job, employment contract, salary, accommodation and residency conditions, and exercise caution when dealing with brokers whose information is not transparent.
While working abroad, workers should keep copies of their passports and other important documents and maintain regular contact with their families. If they are threatened, have their identity documents withheld, are forced to work or face safety concerns, they should seek assistance as soon as possible from local authorities and Vietnamese diplomatic missions.
Vietnamese embassy visits detained fishermen in Malaysia
The Vietnamese Embassy in Malaysia has recently conducted a consular visit to 11 Vietnamese fishermen detained for illegal fishing in Sabah state as part of the efforts to protect Vietnamese citizens abroad and lift the European Council’s yellow card warning on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
