U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper has called on Vietnamese not to trust the false promises of migrant smugglers, online scammers or visa fixers to illegally reach the U.S..

In a 1.5-minute video posted to the U.S. Embassy in Vietnam’s Facebook page on Friday, Knapper began with a story of 17 men, women, and children from Vietnam, Egypt, India, and Iran sailing in a small boat 150km from an island in Colombia toward Nicaragua in an effort to make their way illegally to the U.S. a few days earlier.

“I’m sad to report that the boat sank less than 200 meters from shore. Five people died, including two children, and four are still missing. Three young Vietnamese were rescued,” Knapper added.

Like so many others who tried to illicitly travel to the U.S., these travelers found no bright future, only suffering, regret, and even death. 

These journeys by land, air or sea cost illegal immigrants and their families their savings, their health, and even possibly their lives, the ambassador noted.

Hundreds of people, women, men, and children go missing or die each year trying to migrate to the U.S. unlawfully. Many who make it to the U.S. end up in custody or as victims of human trafficking.

When U.S. immigration authorities find illegal immigrants, they detain them and send them back to their countries of origin, including Vietnam, according to Knapper.

“These tragedies are preventable. As Vietnam’s friends and partners, we implore you not to let yourself, your families, your friends, your neighbors take this illegal and possibly dangerous journey,” Knapper said.

Regarding the incident of the boat sinking off the coast of Nicaragua, the Vietnamese Embassy in Cuba and Nicaragua reported on Monday that three Vietnamese people survived the incident.

Two of them have Vietnamese names and hold Hungarian residence cards, while the other has a Vietnamese driver's license issued in central Thua Thien-Hue Province.

At a press conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday, spokesperson for the ministry Pham Thu Hang said that Vietnam supports and facilitates its citizens living, studying, and working abroad, as long as they comply with Vietnamese law, the laws of host countries, and international law.

In response to reporters' questions about President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign targeting undocumented immigrants and those with prior criminal records, including Vietnamese nationals, Hang affirmed that the repatriation of Vietnamese citizens deported by the U.S. has been conducted based on a bilateral agreement on citizen returns.

Both countries have maintained close, prompt, and effective coordination on this issue.

She reiterated that Vietnam remains committed to cooperating with the U.S. in receiving deported citizens in line with signed agreements.

US ambassador meets with Vietnamese ministers

Vietnamese Minister of Public Security Luong Tam Quang received Ambassador Knapper in Hanoi on Thursday, according to the ministry’s portal.

The two sides discussed the bilateral and specialized collaboration between the Ministry of Public Security and U.S. security and police forces.

They also discussed bilateral law enforcement cooperation to curb illegal immigration, combat cybercrime, and address other transnational organized crimes.

Earlier, Knapper had also met with Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien to discuss U.S.-Vietnam trade ties and continued cooperation in supply chains, energy, and fair trade.

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