Evacuation of Vietnamese Workers from Libya

Libya Crisis: IOM Support to Viet Nam and Vietnamese Migrant Workers Fleeing Violence in Libya 

Evacuation and safe return to Vietnam

General Situation

1. The originally around 10500 Vietnamese (VN) migrant workers in Libya are now back safely in Vietnam
   - There are now no more VN migrant worker/citizen remaining in Libya: who need to be evacuated.
2. Most of return flights have been organized and financed by the Government of Vietnam (GovVN) and the labour companies. IOM supported and complements this GovVN-led effort through a considerable number of IOM-returns and other assistance in the region and in Vietnam.

II. IOM has provided the following assistance to VN and its citizens

1. General support to the VN taskforce teams/embassies in the MENA region. In Vietnam: liason, coordination & provision of advice to GovVN; monitoring of arrivals. Coordination of arrival assistance by GovVN for IOM-organized returns.
2. In cooperation with UNHCR, and the other UN and NGO partners, registrationassistance and provision of humanitarian assistant (food, water, etc...) at the border in Tunisia for about 1600 Vietnamese, and Egypt for about 1000 VN migrant workers.
3. Transportation assistance of those from the borders to the airport/transit camps in Egypt and Tunisia (for approx. 2000 VN migrant workers).
4. Provision of temporary shelter & humanitarian assistance in Malta for a smaller group of 85 VN migrants
5. Provision of ad hoc check-in assistance and of ad-hoc humanitarian assistance for returnees from Turkey, at ISTANBUL airport (return flights organized by the employers/GovVN) for more than 1000 VN migrant workers. In at least 506 cases, provision of ad-hoc transit assistance. In 195 cases, provision of food/water at Kuala Lumpur airport.
6. In a number of urgent humanitarian cases, IOM organized and covered cost for IOM returns on commercial and chartered aircraft (for a total of 557 VN returnees).

For details, see below statistics:

Total: 557 case     

III. Further challenges

IOM Vietnam, to develop projects for follow-up assistance in Vietnam for returnees, in cooperation with MOLISA.