The Department of Overseas Labour Management under the Ministry of Home Affairs has instructed recruitment agencies to suspend sending Vietnamese workers to Middle Eastern countries until the situation stabilises.
The decision follows coordinated airstrikes by the US and Israel on Iranian territory on February 28, which have heightened security concerns across the region. Several Middle Eastern countries, home to large Vietnamese worker communities, are seen as potentially affected, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait.
A man carries two children to shelter in Tel Aviv, Israel (Photo: AFP).
According to the department, 12 Vietnamese enterprises are licensed to send workers to Saudi Arabia, 14 to the UAE, six to Qatar and two to Bahrain.
Authorities warned that the regional situation could remain complex and unpredictable, requiring urgent measures to ensure the safety of Vietnamese workers abroad.
In addition to suspending new deployments, agencies have been instructed to maintain regular contact with foreign partners and employers to monitor developments and proactively safeguard workers’ security and legal rights.
Companies must also reassure workers and provide timely updates to prevent panic, while coordinating closely with Vietnamese diplomatic missions overseas to promptly handle any incidents related to safety or labour rights.
In emergency situations, firms are required to report immediately to the Department of Overseas Labour Management for guidance. They have also been urged to closely follow international security advisories to prepare contingency plans for worker protection.
The suspension will remain in effect until further notice.
According to the Department of Overseas Labour Management, more than 10,000 Vietnamese workers are currently employed in the Middle East, including nearly 6,000 in Saudi Arabia, around 4,000 in the UAE, about 500 in Qatar and roughly 100 in Bahrain.
