IOM’s Chief of Mission Park Mihyung announced the winner of the 'Migration through my lens' competition. (Source: IOM)

The first edition of the 'Migration through my lens' asked entrants to describe what migration means to them using their own pictures or short videos.

The competition was part of IOM’s efforts to increase interest and knowledge about migrations’ rights in the lead up to the commencement of International Migrants Day ( December 18).

Commenting on the competition, IOM’s Chief of Mission, Ms. Park Mihyung, explained: “We really wanted to get from the Vietnamese public their ideas on how to better promote safe, regular, and orderly migration in Vietnam. What is it about the visual or storytelling aspect of migration that draws Vietnamese to want to learn more about the issue?"

According to Ms. Park Mihyung, surprisingly, despite different backgrounds and experiences, none of the entries described migration as “sad” or “turbulent” but as “hopes” and “dreams”.

"We had some really strong entries which we look forward to putting into use to promote migrants’ rights in Vietnam”, she said.

Ms Park Mihyung added: “Congratulations to Ms. Huong. This is the first time IOM conducted this kind of competition in Vietnam. Too often the word ‘migrant’ is associated with negative connotations, almost dehumanizing at times. But at the heart of every movement, there are people. People with hopes and dreams and immense potentials. So, let us not forget the great benefits migration has been bringing to our societies and that when well governed, it is always a very good thing for the world.”

This is the first time IOM conducted this kind of competition in Vietnam. (Source: IOM)

Sharing happiness, Ms Le Thao Huong explained: “Through the contest, I want young people to understand that migration means stepping out of your comfort zone. We will gain new knowledge, find joy, overcome challenges and difficulties during migration. Migration journey also taught me to treasure small things in life and to believe in myself. You should seek information from reliable sources to make sure that you can start the journey with accurate information, empowered to make informed decisions, and protect themselves from the risks,” Huong said.

The second prize winner was Tran The Khai, a youth from Vung Tau with his short video entry on a female migrant’s journey from Mekong Delta to Ho Chi Minh City. The third prize winner went to Nguyen Huu Thong with his impressive photo of H’mong seasonal migrant workers in Ha Giang.

According to IOM’s World Migration Report 2022, there were around 281 million international migrants in the world in 2020, which equates to 3.6 per cent of the global population. The estimated number of international migrants has increased over the past five decades.

In Vietnam, over the past decade, the country has become one of the top 20 countries in the world which received the highest remittance from its international migrant workers. According to official data on contracted overseas labour in 2021, Vietnam have over 600,000 international migrant workers in nearly 40 countries who have sent home around 3-4 billion USD of remittance every year.