The illusion of a better life through the journey of seeking a new path to migration.

Many ethnic minority people wish to return to Vietnam, especially after learning that those who wish to repatriate are supported by Vietnamese authorities with the necessary paperwork to return legally.

“My name is Hara Y Siêu, I am an Ede ethnic minority from Phu Yen. I came to Thailand in 2019,” Y Siêu began telling us about her journey of migration with the illusion of a better life seven years ago.

In 2019, captivated by the allure and images on Facebook depicting the "carefree and comfortable" life of the Ede community in Thailand, along with the prospect of traveling to a third country, Y Sieu (born in 1997) decided to take his two young children and his pregnant wife, who was expecting their third child, from his hometown of Song Hinh, Phu Yen (now Dak Lak province) to the "promised land" of Thailand.

Having gathered over 40 million dong, Y Siêu gave it to the brokers so that his entire family could be smuggled illegally by land through Cambodia to Thailand, and then taken to Bang Yai district, Nonthaburi province, where they were told there was an Ede community living.

However, upon arriving in Thailand, Y Siêu realized that reality was far from the rosy picture she'd seen online; the promises of leaving home for a better life were nothing but lies. Y Siêu's family soon learned the harsh realities of life without papers and illegal immigration.

No acquaintances, no job, living day after day in constant fear of being apprehended by local authorities for illegal residency, and worrying about the fines. Life was precarious and confined in a cramped rented room with five mouths to feed.

Y Siêu confided that after 5 months in Thailand, he managed to find work as a porter, but sometimes he only got called to work 7 or 8 days a month. On days without work and without income, Y Siêu had to go to the temple to beg for food for his wife and three children. Despite obtaining refugee status, last year, Y Siêu's wife was still arrested by Thai police for illegal residency and had to endure several months in the Immigration Detention Center (IDC) before being released on bail but having to report to authorities monthly.

Speaking to a VNA reporter in Bangkok, Pastor Pornchai Kamosin, who has provided legal assistance for many years to Vietnamese ethnic minorities detained in Thailand, said that Thai authorities are intensifying crackdowns and arrests of foreigners residing illegally and working illegally, and that bail is extremely difficult.

Having interacted with Vietnamese ethnic minorities detained at immigration detention centers, Pastor Pornchai stated that many were lured or deceived into coming here.

"I understand that each person who comes here has to pay the guide around 5,000 or 6,000 baht, in addition to other expenses along the way," he shared.

“Those who lure people here deceive ethnic minorities into believing that coming here will bring them a better life, jobs, money, and opportunities to travel to a third country. But the reality is quite different. They spend money to come here, but then they have no jobs, no money, and no happiness at all. They can't even afford rent, let alone money to support their wives and children. Once they arrive, they have no money, no jobs, and they don't know how they will survive here.”

Pastor Pornchai sincerely advised Vietnamese people intending to go to Thailand, especially those who are religious, that God always teaches us to abide by the laws of the country where we live, and Vietnamese people must abide by Vietnamese law.

If you are religious and believe in God, you should stay in Vietnam instead of being lured and deceived into coming here to reside illegally. He also stated that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is now issuing refugee cards almost no longer. Many people have been staying here for 3 or 4 years without receiving refugee cards, and when they are arrested, they cannot even get bail.

Recently, Thailand has been tightening border controls and intercepting illegal entry, amid rampant cross-border fraud networks seeking to smuggle people into Thailand illegally via natural trails, especially as many countries in the region intensify crackdowns and prosecutions against online fraud gangs. The Thai government has also stepped up its campaign against illegal labor, arresting and deporting foreigners residing illegally.

Thanks to the outreach efforts of authorities through various means such as social media communication, mobilizing relatives and influential people, and resolving difficulties and obstacles, many Vietnamese ethnic minorities in Thailand, like Y Siêu, have realized that their naivety and gullibility led them to be deceived, incited, and lured into leaving their homeland. Following the诱惑 and deception to flee abroad is wrong and goes against the interests of themselves, their families, and their communities.

After seven years of living in hiding and uncertainty in a foreign land, Y Siêu now has only one wish: to return to Vietnam, especially after learning that Vietnamese authorities are actively assisting those wishing to repatriate with the necessary paperwork to return legally.

During our conversation, Y Siêu proudly shared that his parents and siblings back home had helped his family of five with the cost of plane tickets to return home.

Vietnamese authorities are also providing all-round support to help people like him return to their homeland, their country, and their families.

"I also want to tell everyone that if anyone is thinking about coming here, they should think again. I've lived here for 7 years and I've found it very difficult," Y Siêu confided.

"I feel like I shouldn't have come here, and I've truly regretted it since. My homeland is still the best. Living, working, and developing in my hometown is the best thing to do."

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(VNA/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/ao-tuong-doi-doi-ve-hanh-trinh-tim-duong-di-cu-post1114468.vnp