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The Hanoitimes – Repatriated Vietnamese nationals are people under 18, elderly, of poor health condition, and of special cases.

Vietnam Airlines, the national flag carrier, on April 15 brought nearly 100 Vietnamese citizens home after flying more than 100 people of British, Irish and other nationalities to the UK.

Vietnam Airlines’ crew on a flight repatriating Vietnamese citizens. Photo: Vietnam Airlines

The airline also carried 2.5 tons of airfreight consisting 140,000 facemasks and other medical supplies gifted by the Vietnamese government and people to aid the UK in combating Covid-19.

The Vietnamese people on the flight back to their home country included students under 18 years of age, elderly people, and those facing hardships. The plane landed on Van Don airport in the northern province of Quang Ninh, and the repatriated people were taken to quarantine facilities and put under medical check.

Medical supplies to the UK gifted by Vietnam. Photo: Vietnam Airlines

The British Embassy in Cambodia, the Irish Embassy in Vietnam, relevant local authorities, and especially Vietnam Airlines had tried their best to make the flight possible, according to the British Embassy in Vietnam.

Under the request by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Vietnamese diplomatic missions have been trying to repatriate Vietnamese citizens who are stranded abroad with the priority given to people under 18, the elderly, the sick, and those of special cases. The repatriation is required to meet the quarantine capacity domestically.

Inside the flight bringing Vietnamese home. Photo: Vietnam Airlines

Vietnam Airlines said this is the sixth flight bringing Vietnamese citizens home, but gave no details of timeline.

Speaking at an online press conference on April 9, Spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang of the Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Vietnam always creates favorable conditions for foreign diplomatic missions to conduct citizen protection measures and for foreigners who face difficulties to fly back to their home countries.

Vietnam has worked with foreign missions to support citizens of some European countries to return home. In the coming time, the Vietnamese government will continue assisting the repatriation of foreign visitors.

So far, Vietnam has brought back nearly 1,500 citizens, mainly from Europe and the US, the spokesperson said.

The Hanoitimes – The British embassy in Vietnam has sent a thankyou message to all the doctors and nurses, and the government.

British Ambassador to Vietnam Gareth Ward has sent a message of thanks all the doctors and nurses and all of the government officials of the host country for supporting British visitors during this time.

British Ambassador to Vietnam Gareth Ward. Photo: fco.gov.uk

During the last couple of weeks, a number of Britons have been put under quarantine inVietnam, who, under the Vietnamese Covid-19 prevention policy, are tested for the coronavirus and receive free meals and accommodations at concentrated isolation centers. Ambassador Ward affirmed that stopping the spread coronavirus is the most important task in Vietnam at this time.

“We have heard from many visitors that they are also very grateful,” Ambassador Ward added. “I can assure you that we will continue to work closely with the Vietnamese government as we are all doing the best that we can to combat coronavirus and aid those in need during these exceptional times.”

The embassy also recommended all the British citizens in Vietnam to follow and keep themselves updated about Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advice. “We are providing consular assistance to the British people affected. We advise all British nationals in Vietnam to follow our travel advice, which is kept under constant review,” Ambassador said.

Until now 45 new coronavirus cases are being treated at medical facilities across Vietnam. Of them, 13 are Britons who have arrived since March 6.

The Hanoitimes – Vietnam affirms to support the repatriation of foreigners whose residence permits expire.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security will coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) to check visa validity of foreigners to find out those who have overstayed.

A foreign visitor enjoys stay in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Zing

The government of Vietnam will facilitate the repatriation of foreigners, according to instructions of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, reported by VnExpress .

Foreigners in Vietnam who will have overstayed their temporary residence validity period for less than 10 days because of objective reasons and force majeure situations will not face penalties, according to an announcement of the Ministry of Public Security’s Immigration Department, which has been shut for 15 days starting April 1 and will handle emergency cases only.

However, anyone who deliberately violates the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam would be expelled.

The Ministry of Transport will be responsible for the transport of the foreigners back to their countries.

At a press conference on April 9, the MOFA’s Spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang said that Vietnam always creates favorable conditions for foreign diplomatic missions to conduct citizen protection measures and for foreigners who face difficulties on their way back home.

Over the past time, Vietnam has worked with foreign missions to support citizens of some European countries to return home. In the coming time, the country will continue assisting for the repatriation of foreign visitors, the spokesperson said.

David James, Wayne Paris, and Patrick M Davies. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Some people have opined that many foreigners have sought Vietnam as a shelter for the pandemic thanks to the country’s good precautionary measures against the virus.

Foreigners who undergo mass quarantine and coronavirus tests in Vietnam have to pay no charge.

Mark A. Ashwill, an international educator who has been working in Vietnam since 2005, wrote on his blog, An International Educator in Vietnam , that foreigners who live and work in Vietnam should only fly home unless they absolutely had to for personal and/or professional reasons.

“It would be akin to jumping from the food warmer into the fire, in the case of the US and a long list of other countries with high coronavirus infection rates,” he said in response to Health and Travel Alert by US Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo on March 31. In the alert, the secretary urged US citizens interested in returning to the United States during the outbreak of Covid-19 to make immediate use of available commercial flight options.

The Tuoi Tre newspaper has quoted several foreigners who live in Vietnam as saying that they chose to stay in Vietnam rather than flying back to their countries.

Wayne Paris, an American in Ho Chi Minh City, said he canceled a flight home as he believed in the fight against the epidemic in Vietnam, saying that both authorities and people are serious in taking protective measures.

British man David James who lives in the southern city of Can Tho said he felt absolutely safe here in Vietnam as the country’s precautionary measures are remarkable. Meanwhile, Patrick M Davies, a Briton who works as an English teacher in Ho Chi Minh City, said he would stay here until the pandemic ends and would fly home only when he was forced to go.