The OSSO Hai Phong is one of the five offices set up under the project in Vietnam which offer free-of-charge consultations for returning migrant women.

The One-Stop Service Office, referred to as OSSO, was established to facilitate the sustainable reintegration of returned migrant women.

The Vietnam Women's Union (VWU) together with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and Hai Phong city Women's Union put into operation a one-stop service office for returning migrant women and their families (OSSO) in the city on April 13, reported VNA.

The OSSO Hai Phong is one of the five offices set up under the project in Vietnam. They offer free-of-charge consultations for returning migrant women regarding legal, psychological issues, education and training, employment, loan obtainment, healthcare, and violence prevention. They also play a role of connecting related domestic and foreign organisations in support of the group.

The office establishment is part of a project is funded by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) to enhance Vietnam’s capacity in supporting returning migrant women and their families' sustainable re-integration into local society.

Statistics show that each year tens of thousands of Vietnamese citizens marry foreigners. 90 percent of them are women.

The OSSO Hai Phonh was held under the project “Strengthening Vietnamese capacity for sustainable reintegration of returning women migrants and their households in Vietnam” implemented by the IOM in cooperation with the Vietnam Women's Union and with the funding from the KOICA. Photo: VNA

According to official data, between 2015 and 2020, about 6,200 local people married foreigners, with a large number of these marriages turning out miserable due to language and custom differences and domestic violence. Many of these people were forced returning to Vietnam and continued facing difficulties in terms of employment, legal procedures, and re-integration, among others, at home.

At the opening ceremony, VWU Vice President Bui Thi Hoa highlighted the strategic meaning of the office establishment in Hai Phong and lauded the local chapter of the VWU’s active support for Vietnamese women married to foreigners.

She asked the managing unit behind the office to study the demand of returning migrant women and optimise the operation of the facility, making it a reliable address for the the women and their families.

KOICA Director Cho Han Deog expressed his belief that the OSSO will be helpful for the women and their families during their integration process.

Last month, a OSSC was launched for returning migrant women in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho./.

Hannah Nguyen