As many as 74 people have been detained while trying to illegally enter several Vietnamese northern border provinces from China.
10 Vietnamese citizens are detained for illegally crossing the border in Lang Son Province on January 5.
On January 5, border guards in Lang Son Province found 10 Vietnamese citizens crossing the border in Cao Loc District's Bao Lam Commune.
According to the border officers, they were from different provinces who earlier illegally went to China to work and now wanted to return home for the Tet Holiday.
On January 3 and 4, 33 other people were also detained.
The Border Guard Command of Lai Chau Province announced on January 5 that they detained 31 Vietnamese people illegally crossing the border from China in Phong Tho District the same day.
They are also illegal workers in China who were attempting to return to Vietnam for Tet.
According to provincial authoritie, the number of illegal crossings from China have increased recently as Tet nears and people want to return home without being quarantined. Meanwhile, local border guards have been asked to intensify monitoring and these people will all be sent to local quarantine areas for Covid-19 prevention.
