Vietnam suspends deployment of workers to Middle East as conflict escalates

The department, under the Ministry of Home Affairs, said it had instructed enterprises providing overseas employment services to halt new deployments to Middle Eastern markets until the situation stabilizes.

Tensions escalated after the United States and Israel carried out coordinated air strikes on Iranian territory on Saturday.

Iran subsequently launched retaliatory attacks against U.S. and Israeli targets in the region, including in countries hosting Vietnamese workers such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait.

Authorities assess that the situation could continue to develop in a complicated manner.

More than 10,000 Vietnamese workers are currently employed in Middle Eastern countries, mainly in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman, according to the department.

There are no Vietnamese contract workers in Iran because the two countries do not have a labor cooperation agreement.

The department said it is coordinating with relevant agencies and Vietnamese diplomatic missions abroad to monitor developments and take measures to ensure workers’ safety.

Enterprises were instructed to maintain regular contact with partners and employers to update information on the conflict, safeguard workers’ security and legal rights, and avoid causing panic.

Companies must also stay in close contact with Vietnamese embassies and labor management boards in the region.

In cases affecting workers’ safety or lawful interests, enterprises must coordinate with employers and relevant parties to handle the situation promptly and report to the department for guidance, it said.

There are 12 licensed Vietnamese enterprises operating in Saudi Arabia, 14 in the United Arab Emirates, six in Qatar, and two in Bahrain, the department said.

A company sending workers to the Middle East told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper it had assigned managers responsible for Saudi Arabia and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates to provide information and support to workers.

The company said workers remained safe and would be relocated in line with authorities’ guidance if conditions deteriorate.