After illegally crossing the border in the north and traveled to HCMC, 14 Chinese were deported from Vietnam, the police said Tuesday.
“The group harbors risks of disrupting order and spreading Covid-19,” HCMC police stated ahead of deportation.
The Chinese illegally entered Vietnam with the help of smugglers from both China and Cambodia borders. Upon entry, they split into smaller groups and were driven by car to HCMC, where they stayed in hotels.
Smugglers let the Chinese live in downtown areas with a high percentage of expats to evade detection.
Related: 52 illegal Chinese entrants deported from HCMC
Police said they came to Vietnam either “to travel to a third country or to perform illegal activities.”
Around 264 illegal migrants have been deported from Vietnam by HCMC police this year, VNExpress’s Quoc Thang reported.
On May 13 that 52 foreigners who had illegally entered the country and were arrested in the city, have been expelled, Ho Chi Minh City’s police told media.
The illegal immigrants admitted that with the help of some Vietnamese brokers, they had entered Vietnam via trails and crossings in the northern border then travelled to HCMC by coach, aiming to seek jobs in the city or going to Cambodia.
For the time being, the act of illegal entry into the country will be either administratively handled under Government Decree 167/2013/ND-CP on administrative sanctions in the field of public security and social order and safety or criminally charged under the 2015 Penal Code (revised in 2017).
According to Article 17 of Decree 167, those who travel across the border without carrying out entry/exit procedures will be subject to a fine of VND 3-5 million (USD 130-210); foreigners who enter Vietnam without permission of Vietnamese authorities will face a fine of VND 15-25 million (USD 630-1,050) and, depending on the severity of their violations, might be deported from the country.
Regarding criminal charge on illegal migrants, Article 347 of the 2015 Penal Code stipulates: “A person who illegally exits or enters Vietnam or illegally stays in Vietnam although having been administratively sanctioned for this act, will be subject to a fine of VND 5-50 million (USD 210-2,100) or sentenced to imprisonment of between six months and three years.”
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Source: Vietnam Insider