Vietnam perfects legal system to protect victims of human trafficking
Combating trafficking in person and supporting victims of human trafficking are among the key tasks that Vietnam and countries around the world are prioritising and actively implementing, including perfecting relevant legal systems.
Lieutenant Colonel Dinh Van Trinh, Deputy Head of Division 5 of the Criminal Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security, said they are enacting the Law on Human Trafficking Prevention and Control and related laws. Vietnam is one of the earliest countries that signed on to the UN’s conventions and protocols, and memoranda of understanding (MoU) of ASEAN and regional countries, as well as cooperation agreements with relevant countries.
It has strengthened bilateral and multilateral cooperation in preventing and controlling human trafficking, demonstrating Vietnam’s commitment to implementing international treaties and reflecting its deep understanding of the importance of building a robust legal system to protect the most vulnerable individuals.
Notably, the 2015 Penal Code (revised and supplemented in 2017) increases the provisions on human trafficking, aligning them more closely with international treaties that Vietnam has joined. These are significant steps forward in establishing a specialised legal framework to combat human trafficking crimes.
These legal tools not only clearly outline measures to prevent and control human trafficking crimes but also stipulate the protection and support for victims, including community education as well as the provision of legal and psycho-social services.
With these efforts, Vietnam has achieved positive results in the work. Statistics from the Government's Steering Committee for Crime Prevention and Control reveal that Vietnam detected and investigated approximately 2,400 human trafficking cases involving 3,800 offenders and 5,700 victims in the 2014 – 2023 period.
The number of human trafficking cases has significantly decreased each year, especially since 2018.
However, the situation of human trafficking in Vietnam remains complex. The department reported that in the first six months of 2024, 35 human trafficking cases involving 78 offenders and 103 victims were detected and investigated nationwide. Besides traditional methods, criminals are increasingly using social media platforms and internet applications to reach victims. Criminal activities are becoming more sophisticated, organised, and transnational.
The fight against human trafficking is regarded as an important political task for authorities of all levels and sectors, with criminal police being at the forefront.
The forces are focusing on implementing a peak period of attacking and suppressing human trafficking crimes in 2024, from July 1 to September 30.
According to a report from the Border Guard High Command’s political department, as many as 1,589,724 were provided with information related to laws and risks of human trafficking crimes.
Awareness-raising efforts at border gates have prevented 926 citizens from crossing the border because they recogniced the risk of being trafficked.
The High Command has instructed its units to strengthen patrols and tightly control border areas, border gates, and coastal areas to promptly detect illegal border crossings and cross-border human trafficking. As a result, 2,274 cases involving 9,137 individuals engaged in illegal border crossings have been detected and addressed. The above cases are at high risk of becoming victims of human trafficking rings.
The border guard forces have arrested and handled 208 cases involving 118 suspects, rescued, received, supported, and transferred 375 victims and suspected victims.
