Over recent years, Da Nang’s rapid socio-economic growth has attracted the growing number of immigrant workers from other localities nationwide.

Workers at a local company

Many local experts have underlined the significance of providing more preferential policies and services for immigrant employees in the current context of increasing labour flows.

According to the municipal Department of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs, a large number of  domestic migrants now work for companies inside and outside industrial parks (IPs). Meanwhile, others make their living from doing such unstable jobs as selling lottery tickets and fruit, vehicle repairing and masonry.

The majority of workers employed by businesses operating in Da Nang are from other localities nationwide.

At the Japanese-invested Mabuchi Motor Danang company, for instance, the number of domestic migrants now accounts for approximately 80% of the total.

In similar vein, many small and medium-sized enterprises, especially those specialising in construction, exterior decoration and engineering, see all of their employees hail from other localities.

With low incomes, unstable employment, and far from their families, internal migrants living in the city are facing countless difficulties in their lives.

According to the latest statistics released from the Department of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs, 87% of the immigrant workers now live in rental accommodations with low living standards.

People chose to move in the city with the hopes of earning more money, but quickly found that their higher income goes together with higher cost of living.

Housing is the most mentioned when it comes to difficulties migrants have to face.

29-year-old Le Van Thi from Quang Nam Province who now works for the Hoa Cam IP-based Da Nang Foster Electric company said he is unable to buy a house in the city because of his low-paid jobs as a worker.

Thi and his wife earn a combined total income of 10 million VND each month. Given such a low amount of money, the married couple shoulders a heavy burden of covering their daily expenses, especially monthly accommodation rental fees.

“It’s normal to live in a 10m² rented room. I don’t have much money, so I can only rent a small room that lacks natural light and fresh air; it’s very stuffy,” said a man working in a mechanic company.

According to the national law on residency, citizens who want to register as permanent residents in a municipality must have a legal place of residence in the destination city, and have registered as temporary residents there for at least one year.

A legal place of residence can be either their own properties or a rent ones.

In the latter case, one applicant must obtain written permission from the house owners that they agree to have him or her register as a permanent resident in their residence books.

In reality, many local businesses have yet to focus on offering enough support to their immigrant workers. 

Also, it is very hard for some female workers to find public day-care centres for their children, so they have to either quit their jobs to stay at home to take care of their children, or send their children to low-cost private venues with poor service quality.

A representative from the Department of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs, said the majority of immigrant employees are young, and they are considered to be an abundant labour force for the city’s progress.

In a bid to encourage immigrant workers to make greater dedication to the city’s growth, it is a high time for the local authorities to take effective measures to enhance the professional skills for immigrant employees, and to implement more housing projects for them.