Colonel Vu Van Hung, Deputy Director of the Immigration Department at Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security (right), and Michael Tomlinson, the UK’s Minister for Countering Illegal Migration, sign a Joint Statement of cooperation to reaffirm the two countries’ strong partnership. (Photo: Courtesy of the UK’s Home Office) Colonel Vu Van Hung, Deputy Director of the Immigration Department at Vietnam’sMinistry of Public Security, and Michael Tomlinson, the UK’s Minister forCountering Illegal Migration, signed a Joint Statement of cooperation toreaffirm the two countries’ strong partnership.
Under the new agreement, the two countries committed to strengthencollaboration on deterrence communication campaigns to stop dangerous journeysin small boats. They will also increase intelligence-sharing to tackle visaabuse and continue to facilitate the process for the return of those with noright to remain in the UK.
The two sides will develop a Joint Action Plan in tackling human trafficking toprevent vulnerable people and disrupt people trafficking.
Vietnam and the UK will continue to maintain directand effective mechanisms and communication channels to share information, andpromote legal routes.
The Joint Statement follows a dialogue on April 15 between Vietnamese Minister ofPublic Security, General To Lam, and the UK’s Home Secretary James Cleverly whoagreed a strong set of measures to tackle visa abuse, increase intelligencesharing, deterrence messages, and continue a successful returns process forillegal migrants from the UK to their home country.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Hung said Vietnam and the UK share a strongstrategic partnership and are celebrating 51 years of diplomatic relations.Apart from collaborations in trade, education, research, technology innovationand climate change, tackling illegal migration and human trafficking is hugelyimportant and mutually beneficial to both countries. The two sides arecommitted to working together on ensuring safe and legal routes and protectingvictims of human trafficking.
Tomlinson said illegal migration is a global problem that requires globalsolutions. This agreement is an important step with a valued partner to ensureboth sides are working in lockstep to end exploitation by people-smugglinggangs, and to save lives.
He believed only through continued close cooperation with internationalpartners will the UK dismantle the criminal networks profiting from this eviltrade, and stop the boats.
In March, the UK’s Home Office launched a social media campaign in Vietnam tohighlight the risks of crossing the Channel in small boats./.
VNA
