Thousands of foreigners permitted to enter HCM City for work

Foreign expert working at the first metro line's site (Photo: laodong.vn)

HCM City – Ho Chi Minh City’s Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs has raised a proposal to the municipal People’s Committee, regarding the entry of 7,000 foreign experts amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, saying their work is important to local business operation.

According to Director of the department Le Minh Tan, foreign experts and skilled workers will help local firms make good recovery from the pandemic.

Local authorities are arranging quarantine sites for the foreigners, he added.

Major projects in the city have faced damaging delays as foreign experts are unable to enter Vietnam over outbreak restrictions, including the under-construction first metro line project.

As the pandemic has made 100 experts unable to return work at the project since March 18, the trial run of the metro line cannot be launched in the third quarter as scheduled.

Director of the city urban railway management board Bui Xuan Cuong said that the board is coordinating with competent organisations to facilitate entry of foreign experts, with a view to speeding up construction of the metro line.

The board is striving to complete 82 percent of the total line’s workload by the end of this year, and put it into operation in the end of 2021, he added.

Meanwhile, the southern province of Dong Nai always creates favourable conditions for entry of foreign workers as it is crucial for local firms to restore their business. Over 100 foreigners, mostly from China’s Taiwan, Japan and the Republic of Korea, have been recently allowed to return to work there.

According to Director of the provincial Department of Health Phan Huy Anh Vu, preparation is underway to welcome 200-300 experts. Three lodging facilities have been arranged in Trang Bom and Vinh Cuu districts for medical quarantine.