The Cambodian immigration chief on June 17 asked Vietnam’s ambassador to work with local authorities for the speedy repatriation of illegal Vietnamese immigrants living in the Kingdom.

Kirth Chantharith, director-general of the Ministry of Interior’s General Department of Immigration (GDI), met Vietnamese ambassador to Cambodia Vu Quang Minh at the GDI to discuss the matter.

During the meeting, Minh thanked the GDI for accepting “the foreigners” and providing them with permanent residence permits, as well as for other initiatives related to immigration.

Chantharith told Minh that there are notable challenges concerning rights and the effectiveness of permanent residence permits for Vietnamese nationals, in Phnom Penh as well as in the provinces.

And concerning the illegal Vietnamese immigrants residing in the Kingdom, the GDI asks that Minh “continue to cooperate by filling out the forms and repatriating them back to Vietnam soon”, Chantharith said, stressing that the request was not based on racial discrimination.

He also said the GDI would continue raising awareness of the rules applicable to permanent residence permits, as well as other relevant legal regulations, to ensure that legal enforcement is exercised lawfully.