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| Participants at the event__Photo: UNDP |
A comprehensive set of measures should be taken to protect and promote migrants’ rights, helping them integrate into the destination areas and contribute to sustainable development, heard a thematic event held on September 24.
The thematic event, titled “"Internal migration in the Red River and Mekong River Deltas: Current issues and policy implications," was co-organized by the Institute for Sustainable Development (under the National Economics University) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Vietnam.
The event presented findings from a study, which was funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through UNDP’s Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index Research Program and carried out across nine provinces and cities, including four in the Red River Delta (RRD) (Hanoi, Bac Ninh, Hai Duong and Nam Dinh), four in the Mekong River Delta (MRD) (Can Tho, Long An, An Giang and Soc Trang), and Binh Duong in the Southeastern region.
According to the research findings, many migrants lack adequate social security, often working in low-skilled jobs or as seasonal workers without health or social insurance, making them unable to benefit from social protection policies in their new communities. Additionally, many migrant workers reside in overcrowded housing that does not meet health and safety standards. Access to public education for migrant children is also limited, as many local schools are at full capacity.
The research recommends several solutions and policy implications to ensure the recognition, protection and integration of migrants.
Specifically, it proposes the Government to allocate land for housing development aimed at low-income earners, regardless of their residency status, and diversify housing options for workers. Meanwhile, in areas like the MRD, it is vital to promote circular migration by creating job opportunities in rural agricultural sectors and improve transportation connections to alleviate housing pressures for migrant workers commuting between home and workplace.
Speaking at the event, Sabina Stein, Assistant Resident Representative and Head of the Governance and Participation Unit at UNDP Vietnam, noted that recognizing and respecting migrants’ rights are not only a matter of justice but also a prerequisite for sustainable development.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Quang Canh, Director of the Institute for Sustainable Development, in his speech, said that destination localities should adopt more policies to improve migrants’ access to public services and quality of life, turning migrant resources into internal resources to secure economic and sustainable development.- (VLLF)
