The central coastal Khanh Hoa Province has recently attracted an increasing numbers of foreign people with tourist visas working illegally for various local firms due to lax management.
By the end of September, the province’s border police had discovered six foreigners working as traders who were buying seafood, seaweed and minerals in Ninh Hoa Town, Cam Ranh City and Khanh Vinh district to sell to China. They had received help from many local people.
According to the provincial department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, 35 out of 195 foreign workers at Suoi Dau Industrial Park and Van Phong Economics Zone, as well as 11 out of 60 working at the local hotels, resorts, and restaurants do not have work permits. For example, Gallant Ocean VN Limited Company in Suoi Dau Industrial Park has four foreign workers but only one has work permit, and Viet-My foreign languages training centre has five foreign workers, but one of which doesn’t have a work permit.
Vice Director of the department, Mai Xuan Tri said that many enterprises have shielded their illegal foreign workers by ignoring the regulations and not filing for work permits.
“Most of these illegal workers are working at resorts, hotels and recreation centres and claim that they are tourists,” he said.
Lack of co-operation
Khanh Hoa Province now has a total of 412 foreign workers in industrial zones and 222 others working at various enterprises. Most of the local enterprises employing foreign staff have not registered their employees for work permits or provided proper contracts.
Meanwhile, Mai Xuan Tri admitted that the main reason for this problem was the lack of co-operation between relevant agencies including the police and the local authorities.
Tri proposed an amendment to the current regulations and stricter punishments.
