Vietnam lawmakers propose exit bans for illegal overseas workers

During a National Assembly discussion on amending the Law on Vietnamese Workers Working Abroad under Contract, lawmakers proposed strict measures to address contract violations and illegal residency.

Delegate Tran Dinh Gia suggested implementing temporary or permanent exit bans for workers who violate contracts or reside illegally in host countries. He noted that such violations have led some international markets to suspend labor recruitment from certain Vietnamese localities, damaging the country's reputation and depriving law-abiding workers of opportunities. To improve oversight, he proposed creating a national database and an information-sharing mechanism between labor, tourism, health, police, and diplomatic sectors.

Additionally, discussions addressed the high financial burden on poor workers, who often pay hundreds of millions of VND in unofficial fees despite regulations. Delegate Chu Luong Tri supported setting service fee caps and banning brokerage fees but urged authorities to consider the total expenditure incurred by workers rather than managing individual costs in isolation.