Workers unpack goods at Tien Sa Port in Da Nang City. The city has temporarily decided to stop unskilled workers from outside the city from registering as residents. (Photo: VNS)Central Da Nang City has temporarily decided to stop people from outside from registering as residents because of overstretched infrastructure and an increase in crime committed by migrants, but this may be illegal under Vietnamese law.

Nguyen Ba Thanh, the city's Party Committee secretary, said limiting migration to the city was an urgent requirement to avoid the situation faced by other big cities.

But he said professional workers were still welcomed.

Many members of the council had voted for the decision because many migrants lived in very poor condition, he said.

"We need to stop them to increase living standards by tightening norms for renting houses, which are in a very bad situation," Ngo Thi Kim Yen, a member said.

Migration to Da Nang has increased rapidly in recent years, followed by southern Binh Duong Province and HCM City.

"Along with the undeniable contributions made by migrants to the city's development, migration has also caused many challenges, especially in maintaining social order and security," Van Huu Chien, vice chairman of the Da Nang People's Committee, said.

Outsiders account for just 11.5 per cent of the population but reportedly a full fourth of crime.

But the country's Residence Law gives every Vietnamese the right to live anywhere and register  permanently if they live for a year there, whether in a leased house or with relatives or friends.

But Thanh was defiant: "Migration has been discussed many times in the National Assembly but the Residence Law has not been amended yet."

He was referring to demands for an amendment limiting the number of migrants who can register in a particular place.

"[This] leads to a lot of difficulties in managing the issue."

Source: VNS