On September 24, 2024, a seminar on “Internal Migration in the Red River Delta and Mekong Delta: Current Issues and Policy Implications” was successfully held as part of cooperation between National Economics University (NEU) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Vietnam.

An overview of the seminar

Representing UNDP at the seminar were Do Le Thu Ngoc, Assistant Resident Representative and Head of Inclusive Development; Sabina Stein, Assistant Resident Representative and Head of Governance and Participation; and Do Thanh Huyen, Public Policy Analyst at UNDP in Vietnam. Invited guests included Dr. Ngo Xuan Lieu, Director of the National Center for Employment Services, Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs; Dr. Nghiem Thi Thuy, Institute of Sociology, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences; Dr. Bui Thai Quyen, Deputy Head of the Department of Planning and External Relations, Institute of Labor Science and Social Affairs, Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs; Prof. Dr. Nguyen Anh Tri, physician, National Assembly Deputy and Member of the Committee on Social Affairs of the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; and Dr. Tran Ngoc Dien, Former Editor-in-Chief of Labor & Social Affairs Magazine, Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs. Press and television reporters also attended and covered the seminar.

Representing NEU were Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hieu, Vice President; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Quang Canh, Director of the Institute for Sustainable Development; and leadership representatives from departments, faculties, schools, institutes and centers, as well as researchers and PhD candidates from within and outside the University.

The seminar aimed to share and discuss findings from a migration research project recently conducted jointly by the Institute for Sustainable Development at NEU and UNDP in Vietnam, with funding from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) through the Vietnam Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index (PAPI) research program.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hieu, Vice President of NEU, delivers the opening remarks

In his opening remarks, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hieu, Vice President of NEU, welcomed delegates and Vietnamese researchers to the seminar presenting the research findings.

Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Thanh Hieu noted that the seminar took place against a backdrop of widespread but spatially uneven industrialization and urbanization in the Red River Delta and Mekong Delta. These processes have created areas with differing migration “pull” and “push” forces, resulting in different challenges for managing intraregional migration in Vietnam’s two largest deltas.

Moreover, migration is a multidimensional issue that requires consideration from multiple perspectives, including those of different stakeholders. Alongside industrialization, urbanization, poverty and demographic changes, migration determinants may include phenomena related to lifestyles and climate change, particularly in the Mekong Delta. An in-depth study of migration drivers, employment, living conditions and access to public services in the Red River Delta and Mekong Delta is therefore both timely and a source of evidence to inform policies that respond to migration and ensure equality between permanent and temporary residents in the two deltas. We highly appreciate the initiative and cooperation of UNDP, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and NEU in carrying out this research.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hieu emphasized that policy advisory research is one of the strengths of NEU, a research-oriented university and one of Vietnam’s leading universities with a long tradition in economics, business administration and management. “I hope that the research findings released today will not remain merely a report presented in this hall, but will make positive contributions to policy practice for migrants in Vietnam, helping improve access to public services and the quality of life of migrants in the Red River Delta and Mekong Delta.”

Concluding his remarks, Vice President Nguyen Thanh Hieu wished the seminar success and expressed his hope for further well-founded recommendations to help migrants gain recognition, protection and community integration at their destinations, and help localities turn migration resources into internal drivers of development.

Sabina Stein, Assistant Resident Representative and Head of Governance and Participation at UNDP in Vietnam, speaks at the seminar

Migration currently contributes to socioeconomic development while also posing challenges to it and to local administration. The research findings show that migration is closely managed in the Mekong Delta, while migration management in the Red River Delta shows signs of being overstretched. Coordination between residence management and labor management agencies remains weak. Although most migrants declare their temporary residence and register their residence, they do not clearly understand or distinguish between temporary residence registration and stay notification. In addition, policies issued and implemented at local and provincial levels still differentiate between permanent and temporary residents. Many policies even focus exclusively on permanent residents as beneficiaries.

At the seminar, Do Le Thu Ngoc, Assistant Resident Representative and Head of Inclusive Growth at UNDP in Vietnam, stated: “To truly harness the potential of migration, we need to establish an environment that promotes migrants’ integration into local communities at their destinations, building bridges for social cohesion and prosperity for all. Equal learning opportunities for migrants’ children at their destinations will greatly support the integration process. Reducing difficulties in accessing administrative procedures in receiving provinces is also an essential way to support migrants.”

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Quang Canh, Director of the Institute for Sustainable Development, presents the research findings at the seminar

According to the research findings, most migrants in the study sample have not received basic social benefits. Many migrants without specialized skills perform unskilled work in companies or work independently in seasonal jobs, have neither health insurance nor social insurance, including voluntary social insurance, and have not benefited from social assistance policies at their destinations.

Notably, most migrant workers live in substandard rental accommodation that is cramped, damp and moldy, lacks basic household items and, in particular, fails to meet fire and explosion prevention standards. Migrants experience disruption to their emotional lives and family bonds, which causes many social issues that require attention and action. Regarding access to general education for their children, many migrants have difficulty accessing public education services. Public educational institutions in many localities show signs of overcrowding because they cannot accurately forecast fluctuations in student numbers during the academic year. Migrant children have to attend private preschools at higher costs. From a gender perspective, female migrants face more psychological, social and community integration challenges than male migrants.

Interviews with migrants in the two deltas show that they rarely participate in local governance or community, cultural and sporting activities where they temporarily reside. Migrants seldom attend meetings or contribute opinions in villages or residential groups, and almost never vote at their destinations.

The study also proposed numerous solutions and policy recommendations to ensure migrants’ rights to recognition, protection and community integration at their destinations. The State needs to plan and allocate land for low-income housing without distinguishing between permanent residents and migrants, and diversify forms of housing provision for workers. In addition, areas heavily affected by “push” factors, such as the Mekong Delta, need to encourage commuting and create agricultural jobs in rural areas to retain workers. At the same time, improving transport connections to enable convenient daily commuting would help ease pressure on housing and education services at destinations.

At the seminar, the research team also received extensive feedback from experts on the research findings and updates on relevant policies.

Some images from the seminar:

Article and photos: Institute for Sustainable Development and Department of Communications

Media coverage of the seminar:

Nhan Dan: Protecting migrants’ rights and interests in the Red River Delta and Mekong Delta

Vneconomy: Many internal migrant workers want to work overtime because their incomes are too low

Banking Times: Recognizing and enforcing migrants’ rights: A prerequisite for promoting sustainable development

Vietnam Plus: “Enforcing migrants’ rights is a condition for promoting sustainable development”

Policy & Life: Recognizing and enforcing migrants’ rights is a condition for promoting sustainable development

Natural Resources & Environment Online: Ensuring rights, interests and equality for migrants

This is an automated translation. If you notice any errors, please contact the Department of Communications, National Economics University at phongtruyenthong@neu.edu.vn.