There is no denying that thanks to remittances sent by relatives living in big cities, rural areas have got a facelift and local people have enjoyed better living conditions. However, there is growing concern about the migration of rural young people to big cities to seek jobs, because they are at the risk of falling into social vices such as drug addiction, prostitution and infectious diseases.

Nguyen Thi Thanh Ha, vice president of the Hanoi Federation of Labour, points to the fact that between 55-60 percent of employees working at garment and textile companies come from neighbouring provinces. More than 20 percent of them work 8-10 hours per day and earn around VND1 million per month.

“Every month they have only two days off work and they do not enjoy full social welfare policies, especially in terms of accommodation. Such working conditions put their health at risk,” says Mrs Ha.

The influx of rural young people not only puts more pressure on big cities in terms of infrastructure, social order, education and health care, but also results in the formation of a community of poor migrants. Most of them do not have resident permits and are easily vulnerable to discrimination. They do not enjoy services for the poor and are not protected against violence or disputes relating to employment, wages and housing.

The Party and State consider youths as a vanguard force in national construction and development. Caring for and nurturing young people is both the goal and the driving force behind the country’s stability and sustainable development. This is considered an important task for the entire political system.

How to help rural young people become self-sufficient without having to leave their home villages remains a thorny issue that needs to be addressed very soon.