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than 2.7 million people with Vietnamese roots are living
in nearly 90 countries and territories around the world.
Hundreds reportedly returned to visit relatives or do
business each year.
However,
Viet Kieu still anticipate visa exemptions, as the Vietnamese
government has already granted them to tourists from
Japan and Korea. Visa exemption for ASEAN member states,
including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,
Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand will
also be applicable by the end of this year, as reported
by Vietnam News Agency recently.
According
to experts, the Government can apply visa exemption
for Viet Kieu on a trial basis first, for example, those
from selected countries, before making it available
to all.
Visa
exemptions would make it easier for Viet Kieu to return,
as they are expected to contribute much to the country’s
development, said experts.
Resolution 36
This
was declared in Resolution 36 issued by the Politburo
in March 2004. The resolution about affairs towards
overseas Vietnamese says: “To create favorable conditions
for overseas Vietnamese to return to the homeland to
visit relatives and worship ancestors. To issue specific
regulations and improve prevailing regulations about
exit/entry, residence and traveling of overseas Vietnamese
towards the direction of openness, convenience and procedure
simplification.”
The
resolution also places emphasis on implementing procedures
quickly to help overseas Vietnamese easily to return
to live or do business in Vietnam.
In
line with the Politburo resolution, the Prime Minister
in June 2004 issued an action program which asks “the
Ministry of Public Security to cooperate with the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs and relevant agencies to review policies
and regulations related to exit/entry, residence and
repatriation of overseas Vietnamese in the fourth quarter
of 2004.”
According
to the action program, the ministries were told to propose
changes and amendments to the current policies and regulations
to create advantages for overseas Vietnamese.
Also,
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was asked to collaborate
with relevant agencies to make proposals about the standardization
of passports and identity papers as well as the use
or granting of papers to overseas Vietnamese when they
return to Vietnam.
The
Ministry of Foreign Affairs has then responded to the
Politburo and Government decisions by formulating an
action program.
The
ministry asked the Consular Department and the Overseas
Vietnamese Committee to cooperate with agencies to amend
regulations of the Government’s Decree 05 issued in
2000 governing the simplification of procedures for
granting ordinary passports and laissez-passers to overseas
Vietnamese when the return to Vietnam.
Written
by Tran Hung - Translated by T.H. |
