The Ministry of National Defense has recently introduced a draft Regulation on sea border areas, proposing stricter supervision and control of foreign people and vessels operating in Vietnam’s sea border areas.
Under the draft, a foreigner temporarily or permanently residing in Vietnam, when travelling to border communes or wards, or when entering and leaving islands, except tourist and service centers and economic zones, must have a passport or passport substitutes, papers proving his residence in Vietnam and a license for entering border areas, granted by the provincial-level Public Security Department of the locality where he resides or arrives in. In case of overnight stay, he must register with the commune-level police office, and would be subject to the control by border guards and local competent agencies.
Meanwhile, a foreign vessel operating in Vietnam’s sea border areas must possess a vessel registration certificate and a technical safety certificate, if such certificate is required, granted by a foreign competent authority; a passenger list or crew list; a license for use of radio frequency and transmission devices granted by a Vietnamese agency, and other papers as required by Vietnam’s law.
Sea patrol forces would have the right to pursue foreign ships that commit violations of Vietnam’s laws in its internal waters, territorial waters and contiguous zones. They may also seize and handle foreign ships operating in Vietnam’s sea border areas if having grounds to believe that such ships involve in illegal activities such as smuggling; illegal immigration; human trafficking; illegal stockpiling or trafficking of narcotic substances, weapons, flammables, explosives or toxic substances, etc.-
