The Government Office has recently sent letters to Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism, and people’s committees of central-level cities about the incident of 152 Vietnamese tourists going missing in Taiwan late last year. (Source: baobacgiang.com.vn)Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - PrimeMinister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has asked the Ministry of Public Security toinvestigate and strictly handle the organisations and individuals who illegallytraffic Vietnamese people abroad via tourism routes.
The Government Office has recently sent letters to the Ministryof Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Culture, Sport andTourism, and people’s committees of centrally-run provinces and cities aboutthe incident of 152 Vietnamese tourists going missing in Taiwan late last year.
In the letter, the PM asked the Ministry of Public Securityto work with relevant offices to handle those who were using tourism routes toillegally send Vietnamese abroad.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to ask Taiwan torestart the Kuan Hung Pilot Project - anelectronic visa programme for Vietnamese travel businesses, especially those that have been booking services in Taiwan andapplying for Kuan Hung visas for tourists traveling during the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday.
The PM also requested the Ministry of Labour, Invalids andSocial Affairs (MoLISA) to step up communications on the risks and consequencesof illegally working abroad.
In December last year, a group of 152 Vietnamese touristsdisappeared from their tour group after entering Taiwan through Kaohsiungon the special tourism visa.
The 152 Vietnamese tourists, divided into four groups, werepassengers referred to HCM City-based International Holidays Travel CompanyLimited by two Hanoi-based tourist companies: Twin Bright Company Limited andGolden Travel Trade and Tourism Company Limited.
Taiwan’s National Immigration Agency (NIA) announced its specialised operations brigade in Kaohsiung had setup a team to work with local police to track down the missing tourists.
Three days later, 11 of the 152 runaway tourists weretemporarily detained for further investigation.
Three were detained by police and accused of violating Taiwan’santi-human trafficking and immigration laws, as well as its labour code.
Taiwan suspended the issuance of “Kuan Hung” visas forgroups of Vietnamese tourists after the incident.-VNS/VNA
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