More than 4 million Vietnamese people are living in more than 100 countries and territories in the world, a Wednesday conference held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was told.

The conference publicized Vietnam’s migration dossiers and orientations for Vietnamese policies and laws on international migration, as part of a project to build migration dossiers and databases for Vietnamese migrants abroad.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Consular Department is working with the Hanoi Office of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to implement the project under the auspices of the European Union (EU).

Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Thanh Son told the conference that Vietnam’s open-door policies have in the past few years created favorable conditions for Vietnamese citizens to go abroad to study, work and travel.

Like other developing countries, Vietnam is facing both opportunities and challenges from the migration activities.

Son reiterated the government’s policy of promoting legal migration, fighting illegal migration, and ensuring the safety of and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of Vietnamese migrants.

Vietnam wants to cooperate with other countries to share experiences and data about migration, he said.

Son also announced the launch of a web site to provide policymakers and Vietnamese migrants with migration information.

Migrants can also post their personal information on the web site to receive assistance from relevant agencies when necessary.