More than 13,320 overseas Vietnamese repatriated so far: Spokeswoman

Vietnamese citizens in Australia wait to handle boarding procedures at Sydney Airport on July 13 (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi - Vietnam has organised 55 flights bringing 13,323 citizens home from overseas since April 10 in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang said on July 16.

She said at the ministry’s regular press conference that under the direction of the country’s leaders, in particular the Prime Minister, relevant agencies and Vietnam’s overseas representative bodies have worked closely with authorities in host countries to bring Vietnamese citizens home.

Agencies, ministries, and sectors in Vietnam, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Public Security, will continue working with the country’s overseas representative bodies to bring more citizens home on the basis of their aspirations, repatriation priorities, and domestic quarantine capacity, according to the spokeswoman.

Replying to a question about online ticket scams targeting citizens who wish to return to home, she cited national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines as saying that it has warned passengers, especially overseas citizens, about such online ticket scams.

Since the pandemic broke out and the Vietnamese Government began conducting repatriation flights for its citizens in disadvantaged circumstances, the country’s overseas representative bodies and the Foreign Ministry’s Consular Department have publicised information about related procedures on their websites and on the media.

Citizens who wish to return to home need to register with Vietnam’s representative bodies in the host country, and agencies will then work with domestic authorities and contact each person by email to inform them on ticket booking procedures, Hang noted.

She recommended that to protect their interests, overseas Vietnamese citizens need to follow the instructions issued by Vietnamese representative bodies and only buy tickets after receiving official emails from these agencies.