The Immigration Department under the Public Security Ministry confirmed that a British citizen named Christopher John Trinnaman born on January 21, 1978, had entered Vietnam on April 9 this year and departed on May 3.

Christopher Trinnaman  (Source: dailymail.co.uk)

The department revealed the information after the UK’s Mirror newspaper reported that a British man named Christopher Trinnaman, a convicted paedophile who was released from prison in 2015, had appeared recently in Vietnam. 

According to the department, the case of Christopher John Trinnaman is not among those which are banned from entering Vietnam under the country’s law on entry, exit, transit and residence of foreigners (Articles 10 and 21). It said the man was granted a visa for foreigners working for enterprises in Vietnam. 

The department added that Vietnam currently unilaterally exempts visas for citizens from 13 countries, including the UK, for a 15-day stay. The UK is also among 80 countries whose citizens can get an online visa of Vietnam. 

“At present there is no information about Christopher John Trinnaman’s violations of Vietnam’s entry and exit regulations or actions that are inappropriate to or violate Vietnam’s law when he was in Vietnam,” the department said, noting that it is contacting the UK’s diplomatic mission in Vietnam to verify information related to the case. 

The department affirmed that it will coordinate with relevant agencies to proactively take actions to prevent criminals from entering the country.