Viet Nam rejects false information on exit ban for British citizens
VGP - Viet Nam opposed claims from a U.K. newspaper that British citizens may have their passports seized and be banned from leaving Viet Nam, Spokeswoman of Viet Nam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang told reporters on Thursday.
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The move came after The Mirror last week reported that the U.K. Foreign Office had adjusted guidelines for its citizens abroad, saying that "Vietnamese authorities may place an exit ban on certain individuals to prevent them from leaving the country," and that passports "will be seized until the case is fully investigated".
The UK directive lists out a number of situations that could trigger an exit ban from Vietnamese authorities, which may be related to investigations into an individual, their family or an employer, criminal and civil matters, such as business disputes or motor vehicle accidents, employment without a work visa or unpaid financial debts.
The Spokeswoman affirmed that over the past years, competent Vietnamese authorities have taken numerous actions to facilitate the travelling of foreigners to Viet Nam to study, work, invest, explore the market, and for tourism purposes, in compliance with Vietnamese regulations and laws.
An InterNations report issued last year said Viet Nam is among the best 15 countries for expats. The report surveyed around 12,000 people from 171 countries and territories./.
