Ha Tinh, 5^th-6^th November 2014

The International Organization for Migration will be conducting workshops in Ha Tinh with the Ha Tinh provincial Women's Union and local community groups to combat people smuggling. The workshops are part of a communication program supported by the Australian Government to deter potential irregular migration by boat from Viet Nam to Australia.

In addition to providing information on the general risks associated with irregular migration, the workshops will also explain Australia’s new immigration policies and train community leaders on how to disseminate the important message about the consequences of traveling to Australia by boat. The aim of the workshops is to share information on people smuggling in the province including the relevant Vietnamese laws and regulations.

Following the workshop, community leaders will take on the role of spreading public awareness of the risks and consequences of irregular migration among residents. David Knight, IOM Chief of Mission in Vietnam, explained that “this communication program is important because in Ha Tinh people are eager to trust brokers and may make ill-informed decisions to travel to Australia through the assistance of a people smuggler. Such a decision could put them at great risk”. Vietnamese nationals currently constitute one of the largest groups detained in Australia's immigration processing centres.¹

Quotes from interviews conducted by the IOM with people who went to Australia by boat:
“Never go to Australia by boat. It could only mean you are being smuggled, and lied to.”- Returned IMA, Ha Tinh
“If I knew that I would be drifted on the sea, captured by the Australian maritime police and then stay in a camp for illegal migrants, I would not go.”  - Returned IMA, age 22

Contact information:
IOM Hanoi

DO Thi Thanh Mai  MAIDO@iom.int  +8443736 6258 (ext. 109)

Further information on Australian Government immigration policies at www.customs.gov.au/novisa/vietnamese 

Get information on Australia’s immigration policies at http://vietnam.embassy.gov.au/hnoi/Visas_and_Migration.html
 

High level meeting: 5 November 7.45 - 11.30
(IOM, Australian Embassy, representatives of local PCs (province and district level), local MPS (Immigration, Investigation), WU, Youth Union, DOLISA, DOFA, Department of Information and Communications, local border guards, press/media agencies)
 

Community meeting: 6 November 7.45 - 4.30
(IOM, representatives of communal PC, local MPSI, local border guards, outreach officers from WU and Youth Union, religious leaders, press/media agencies)
 

Location: Meeting Hall of Ha Tinh Women's Union, 71 Phan Dinh Phung Road, Ha Tinh City.