Vietnamese guest workers to be brought home as contracts end

Tong Hoai Nam, head of the Overseas Labour Management Department, said about 10,000 Vietnamese guest workers were stuck overseas after their contracts end due to COVID-19. The department is compiling the list to submit to the National Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention for repatriation plans.

The plans are being calculated carefully and workers whose contracts end as well as those who are ill will be brought home.

However, not all 10,000 workers want to return home right away. The Japanese government allows foreign workers to renew their visa for another year or switch to another job with special skills. Meanwhile, in the Republic of Korea, the local government also helps foreign workers whose contracts end to find seasonal jobs.

"We’re working with firms, Vietnamese embassies and labour management authorities in other countries to compile the list of workers who wish to return home to have a suitable plan," Nam said.

They have proposed to transfer the workers to the quarantine facilities at military camps when they return to Vietnam. Workers who want to stay at hotels will have to pay the cost themselves and contact related parties for suitable arrangements.

Vietnam has arranged many flights to bring workers whose contracts end, are sick or tested positive to SARS-CoV-2 to Vietnam in the past months.