The meeting was joined by Deputy Defense Minister Senior Lieutenant General Tran Don; Deputy Foreign Minister To Anh Dung; Deputy Health Minister Tran Van Thuan; Deputy Chief of the Government Office Nguyen Xuan Thanh; Deputy Commander, Chief of Staff, and Acting Commander of the Border Guard Command Major General Le Duc Thai; Political Commissar of the Border Guard Force Lieutenant General Do Danh Vuong.
    |
 |
|
Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam speaks at the meeting |
As head of the National Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control, Mr. Dam noted that the pandemic may last for a long time, asking the Ministry of National Defence (MND) to devise plans to reinforce troops, equipment and facilities for checkpoints along the borderlines, especially at the areas with adverse conditions and weather.
He also urged authorities of border localities to team up with the border guard and public security forces to strictly control and handle illegal entries into Vietnam and manage residence of foreigners in localities, particularly in industrial zones.
The MND was requested to join hands with the Ministry of Public Security to submit to the Prime Minister a plan to enhance application of technologies to border protection and management and build up capacities of the relevant forces in the current context.
Major General Le Duc Thai reported that the security situation along the borderlines remains complicated as functional forces still detected and arrested people illegally crossing the border after Vietnam imposed restrictions on immigration and compulsory quarantine on those who enter the country.
According to General Thai, from February 2 to August 7, as many as 16,530 illegal immigrants were discovered and handled.
He said the Border Guard Command has posted more troops along the border, devised plans to receive Vietnamese citizens returning from abroad and stamp out criminal rings that organise illegal entries into Vietnam across the border. He added that nearly 9,800 troops have been deployed at more than 1,600 checkpoints since July 25.
The forces also handed over 41 cases of organising illegal immigration to competent agencies.
In the coming time, the force will continue to keep a close watch at border gates, trails and crossings, increase patrols, strengthen checkpoints, and send more troops to major and complicated locations.
Source: PANO/VNA
Translated by Song Anh