Hai Phong City has recently issued a comprehensive report on the implementation of policies and laws regarding Vietnamese laborers working abroad under contract. This evaluation is crucial for assessing the effectiveness of Law No. 69/2020/QH14 and its guiding documents, especially as the city intensifies its efforts to resolve employment issues and enhance the quality of its human resources.
A Synchronized Legal System and New Management Thinking
Since Law No. 69/2020/QH14 took effect on January 1, 2022, a synchronized system of legal documents has been promptly issued by the Government and various Ministries, creating a unified legal corridor. Key documents such as Decree No. 112/2021/ND-CP and Decree No. 12/2022/ND-CP have specified implementation measures and administrative penalties in this field. Notably, the new legal framework marks a significant shift from pure administrative management to management specifically aimed at protecting the legitimate rights and interests of workers.
At the local level, Hai Phong has proactively issued focused guiding documents. The Hai Phong City Party Committee released Plan No. 237/KH-TU on April 21, 2023, to strengthen Party leadership over this work in the new situation. Furthermore, the City People’s Committee issued Plan No. 240/KH-UBND on September 18, 2023, and Official Dispatch No. 2895/UBND-VX to implement seasonal labor programs abroad, particularly in South Korea. These documents have increased transparency in recruitment and fee collection while enhancing the accountability of service enterprises in the area.
Consolidating Organizational Structure and Inter-departmental Coordination
A significant milestone in state management in Hai Phong was the reorganization of the administrative apparatus on March 1, 2025. Currently, the Department of Home Affairs serves as the focal point advising the City People’s Committee on the state management of laborers working abroad. This department is responsible for receiving and issuing approval documents for labor sources, managing enterprises that win project bids abroad, and providing policy information to workers. Additionally, the Department plays a role in supporting workers' social reintegration and providing access to psychological counseling upon their return.
Inter-departmental coordination is implemented strictly and smoothly. The City Police are responsible for immigration management and combating illegal labor activities. The Department of Foreign Affairs coordinates international market information and implements citizen protection measures during incidents. Meanwhile, the Department of Education and Training and vocational institutions focus on skills and language training; the Department of Health ensures medical examinations; and 114 commune-level People’s Committees are responsible for understanding the actual needs of people at the grassroots level.
Innovation in Propaganda and Orientation Education
Hai Phong identifies propaganda as a vital political task to ensure citizens correctly understand their rights and obligations. The city has applied diverse forms of communication, from visual aids like billboards and posters in residential areas to mobile propaganda units. Notably, the city has "theatricalized" legal messages through plays, "Cheo" (traditional opera) performances, and songs to help residents easily identify "easy work, high pay" scams.
The content of Law No. 69/2020/QH14 is also integrated into the "All people unite to build a cultural life" movement and the activities of sustainable family clubs. The city also utilizes sports competitions in industrial zones—where many young people seeking work are concentrated—to distribute leaflets and set up standees with official guidance. As a result, between 2022 and 2025, tens of thousands of workers were equipped with legal knowledge and citizen protection hotline information before departure. This propaganda not only helps workers work with peace of mind but also promotes a positive image of Hai Phong people to the world.
Impressive Figures on Markets and Labor Quality
According to statistics, during the 2022-2025 period, Hai Phong sent approximately 58,750 laborers (Source mentions 5,875,000, which likely includes a typo as the annual breakdown totals closer to 60,000) abroad under contract. The volume fluctuated annually: 16,328 in 2022; 16,340 in 2023; 14,068 in 2024; and 12,014 in 2025. In the first six months of 2026, the figure was 5,228. Japan and Taiwan remain the two primary markets, receiving 5,307 and 8,898 workers respectively in 2022.
Regarding professional qualifications, unskilled labor still accounts for a large proportion at approximately 65%; workers with vocational training account for 30%; and those with college or university degrees make up about 5%. Most Hai Phong laborers are accepted by international markets due to their diligence, creativity, and ability to quickly grasp tasks. Remittances have helped many families improve their lives, providing capital for production and business investment and house repairs, contributing to sustainable poverty reduction in the locality.
Enterprise Operations and Practical Support Policies
Currently, there are 24 licensed enterprises operating labor export services in the city. These enterprises basically comply with recruitment processes, language training, and orientation education for 100% of workers before departure. However, the scale of local enterprises remains small, mainly focusing on fields such as seafarers or low-skilled labor.
To support residents, the city has implemented several incentive policies. Workers can borrow capital from the Social Policy Bank, with loans covering up to 100% of contract costs. From 2022 to May 2026, 14 workers received loans totaling 1,330 million VND. Specifically, for the EPS program (South Korea), 1,190 workers made deposits totaling 119 billion VND to ensure contract compliance. Additionally, the city coordinated with the Overseas Employment Support Fund to support the relatives of 20 workers who died while working abroad, with a grant of 40 million VND per case.
Identifying Difficulties and Barriers in Implementation
Despite positive results, Hai Phong faces several challenges. State management personnel are very thin and mostly work concurrently, making it difficult to closely monitor specialized tasks like contract management or risk prevention. Grassroots officials have limited skills in identifying risks in labor brokerage. Coordination and information sharing between levels are sometimes unsynchronized due to a lack of fully interconnected management information systems.
Furthermore, inspecting and monitoring the activities of enterprises and consulting organizations is difficult due to the wide scope of management and fluctuating number of units. A segment of workers, especially in suburban areas, still lacks official information and is easily enticed by "brokers," willing to pay high costs for quick departure without proper training. Another thorny issue is the disruption of the national database software system for workers abroad, which complicates statistics and the tracking of workers who have returned or fled their contracts.
Recommendations and Proposals to Amend the Law for Higher Efficiency
Based on practical experience, the Hai Phong City People’s Committee has made specific recommendations to perfect the draft Law amending and supplementing the Law on Vietnamese Laborers Working Abroad under Contract. The city proposes adding regulations on the responsibility to publicize recruitment information by enterprises to ensure transparency and limit complaints. Regarding the receipt of notices and management of labor deployment plans, the city suggests assigning this to specialized agencies (such as the Department of Home Affairs) instead of the provincial-level People’s Committee to ensure feasibility and professional alignment.
Notably, the city proposes clarifying the responsibility and mechanism for mandatory social insurance participation in Vietnam for workers abroad to ensure their long-term social welfare. Prioritizing the construction and sharing of electronic databases between Ministries, Vietnamese representative missions abroad, and local governments is essential to support workers promptly and prevent illegal labor status.
Hai Phong expects that in the coming time, the Government will continue to provide specific guidance on costs and strengthen professional training for local officials. With the determined involvement of the entire political system and the improvement of the legal corridor, the work of sending laborers abroad will continue to be an important driver for the city's sustainable socio-economic development.