On December 09th, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc chaired the Conference on “Solutions to stabilize free migration in the whole country and management and land use originating from agriculture, forestry farms in the Central Highlands region” in Buon Ma Thuot city. Attending the meeting, there were Standing Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung and leaders of relevant ministries, sectors and localities.
Overview of the Conference
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in the period 2005 – 2017, there are 66,738 households freely migrated, focusing on three areas: Central Highlands (55,846 households), North West (5,811 households) and the South West (2,081 households).
By the end of 2017, 42,237 households (accounting for 63.3%) have been supported to arrange according to plans or self-stabilization. Currently, about 24,500 free migration households are not arranged stably, mainly in the Central Highlands region (over 22,000 households).
This situation has caused a great impact on economic development, security, social order and environmental resources protection. Localities with in-migration and out-migration have faced great pressure to protect their resources, especially forest resources, and effected to the ecological environment. Free migrants have not only broken the plans of localities but also disturbed the local people, incurring complex social problems, causing security and order.
Chairman of Dak Lak Pham Ngoc Nghi presents his speech at the Conference
Regarding the management and land use originating from agriculture, forestry farms in the Central Highlands region, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) has conducted a review of 122 agricultural and forestry companies. After the arrangement, 108 companies were retained (total area of 935,120ha) and 14 companies were dissolved and handed over to the locality (total area of144,624ha).
According to the Minister of MONRE Tran Hong Ha, the management of land use in agriculture, forestry farms in the Central Highlands region is still ineffective, incurring risks such as land disputes and encroachments; forest and forestry land is continuing to be destroyed and the free migration is continuing.
PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc concludes the Conference
Concluding the Conference, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc stressed that free migration is a global matter, not only in Vietnam. Unplanned migration is unpredictable, so the Party and State’s viewpoint do not encouraging free migration. To solve this problem, first and foremost, it is necessary to retain and stabilize the local population. In addition to strengthening the propaganda, localities need to focus on investing in infrastructure, attaching importance to vocational training to create livelihoods for people.
The Government will prioritize resources for the completion of projects to stabilize the free migration so that migrants in the previous period have stable housing and production land and are enjoyed the Sate’s social security policies. The Government’s target is to complete the projects of stabilizing the population by 2020 and resolutely resolve the situation by 2025. If the actual migration of people from one locality to another is appropriate and necessary, localities’ leaders should actively exchange with each other to provide specific solutions to solve problems rather than being passive when migrants move spontaneously.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said that forest development and enrichment from forests is one of the appropriate directions for the North West and Central Highlands areas.
Suggesting the direction of economic development for free migrants, the Prime Minister said that the traditions and customs of ethnic minority groups are used to live in mountainous forests, so forest development and enrichment from forests is an appropriate solution.
The PM also asked ministries, sectors and localities to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of management and land use originating from agriculture, forestry farms; resolutely solve the shortage of production land, control free migration; minimize and eliminate land disputes, land encroachment, forest destruction for productive land; stabilize social order and security, and ensure the interests of the people.