Workers learn Korean at the Gia Lai Job Services Centre, in the Central Highland province of Gia Lai. The classes are designed to help Vietnamese workers who have jobs in South Korea. — VNA/VNS Photo Sy Huynh

HA NOI — A new survey on Vietnamese who work abroad aims to help the Government draft better policies to help migrant workers.

Carried out by the Asia Pacific Centre of Hanoi (VAPECHN), the survey will take part in 1,500 households in six provinces and cities, including Ha Noi, Hai Duong, HCM City, Can Tho, Da Nang and Nghe An. Both households with and without members who are migrant workers will take part in the survey, which is expected to be completed by Ha Noi’s statistics department by January next year.

VAPECHN’s deputy director, Dang Nguyen Anh, said though international migrants have a great impact on the country, there was still not enough data on migrants to help the Government issue better policies and improve management in the area.

Anh said though a law on labour export was passed last year, it was still not good enough, because it paid too much attention on managing labour export enterprises with too many procedures and processes.

The paperwork and procedures often discouraged workers from following the official channels for starting work abroad, said Anh. Instead, people would try other means to get work abroad, which exposed them to greater risks, such as being cheated by labour brokers.

The survey will collect information on a wide range of issues related to migrant workers, including the challenges they face and their impact on the economy and on other spheres of life.

VAPECHN’s Tran Thi Bich said there were 3 million Vietnamese nationals overseas, including more than 500,000 migrant workers in over 40 countries around the world and over 30,000 studying overseas. About 130,000 Vietnamese lived overseas after getting married to foreigners, mostly in Taiwan and South Korea.

A rapid increase in remittances from these migrants was reported during the 2001-05 period. These remittances amounted to US$16 billion for the period, with $3.8 billion sent home to Viet Nam in 2005 alone. The migrant community also took part in 1,573 projects in Viet Nam, with registered capital of $762.83 million, and which created 7,000 jobs.

Bich also pointed out a downside to more and more Vietnamese going overseas to work: the increased pressure on inflation and in real-estate and financial markets. Overseas remittances were used to buy real estate, stock and luxurious imported cars, said Bich.

However, these migrants also had to deal with many problems. Some were unfairly tied to working contracts due to unscrupulous labour brokers and a lack of information. Some workers were even trafficked, exploited and abused. Living and working overseas could also mean having to deal with discrimination, unsafe working conditions, social inequality and family breakdowns due to the strain of having to leave families back in Viet Nam.

However, VAPECHN deputy director Anh said the benefits outweighed the drawbacks for many workers.

Anh said that in the case of the 700 migrant workers from Vu Hoi Commune in the northern province of Thai Binh, only 10 of the 600 who were married reported problems with their partners due to having to work abroad.

Anh said most of these workers could pay their debts and use their income from working abroad to support their families.

The Global Development Network, as the donor for the project, has also carried out workshops on migrant workers in Colombia, Fiji, Georgia, Ghana and Macedonia. — VNS