Vietnam and UK intensify cooperation in combating human trafficking

General Lam affirmed that Vietnam attaches importance to strengthening its strategic partnership with the UK.

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1973, he said bilateral relations have developed positively and substantially through reciprocal visits and cooperation mechanisms, helping to spur cooperation in fields such as politics, diplomacy, economics, security, defense, science - technology, culture and education, as well as local cooperation.

With regard to law enforcement, the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam and the British Home Department have been cooperating closely in fighting and preventing crime. A number of areas of cooperation have been increasingly enhanced, becoming the major pillar in law enforcement cooperation between the two countries. They include cooperation on migration, immigration management, and prevention and control of human trafficking and illegal migration crimes.

The two sides regularly exchange information and effectively implement the Memorandum of Understanding on migration issues between the Vietnamese Government of Vietnam and the British Government, and the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in preventing and combating human trafficking crimes.

To improve the effectiveness of bilateral cooperation, the two sides agreed to further implement signed cooperation documents, especially the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in preventing and combating human trafficking, the Memorandum of Understanding on sharing immigration information, and the Memorandum of Understanding on migration issues.

They will maintain reciprocal visits and contacts at all levels to exchange information and share experience in preventing and combating human trafficking and illegal migration.

General Lam reaffirmed that there are no victims of human trafficking directly from Vietnam to the UK, and that Vietnamese citizens are victims of organized crime in Europe.

During the phone call, the two ministers also discussed measures to strengthen cooperation in the coming time, including enhancing community communications on safe migration and illegal migration prevention and control; running training courses and workshops to improve officers’ technical and foreign language capacity in relevant fields.