The year 2020 was a challenging year when the Covid-19 pandemic suddenly appeared and broke out globally. 2020 was also a year with many concerns and thoughts of the team of Customs officers at international airports in the face of Covid pandemic and flights to avoid pandemic. Customs officers and employees of international airports completed their tasks at the frontline to fight the pandemic, have completed immigration procedures, and supported people to return home to avoid the pandemic.

The Customs Branch of Can Tho Port Border Gate (Can Tho Customs)
carries out procedures for people to return home to avoid the pandemic.

In the last days of the year, when the wind flooded the Hau river, we went to the Customs Branch of the Can Tho Port (Can Tho Customs Department) while officers and employees of the branch were checking data to evaluate the work in 2020. The numbers of people entering the country to avoid the pandemic, the rushed meals at the airport, the protective suits worn on the body is almost full and then the sweat rolling down the cheeks and the imprints on the face because of the mask strap are unforgettable images in the life of the customs officers here.

Huynh Bang Phi, Deputy Director of the Customs Sub-Department of Can Tho Port - the unit performing the State management of Customs at Can Tho International Airport, said: “In 2020, the Sub-Department completed procedures for more than 100 aircraft entry, mainly entry flights to bring Vietnamese people back to the country to prevent the Covid-19 pandemic with about 30,000 people, while the branch has only about 20 people. Can Tho International Airport also must perform management duties at about 10 ports in Can Tho city. However, when it was announced that the unit would immediately deploy at Can Tho International Airport, any day or night, sooner or later to quickly settle for people returning home to avoid the pandemic as a way of sharing difficult to work with people.”

Vo Thi My An, an officer of the Customs Branch of Can Tho Port, said: “If we say that we were not afraid, it is not true, but because of duties, because of responsibilities, customs officers are always ready to go to the front line to support people to return home to avoid the pandemic. Going to the airport, seeing the old people and babies returning to our country is really touching. In times of intense outbreaks, long flights, people have to wear protective gear for a long time, travelling is difficult, so we understand the difficulties and fatigue of people. The cadres and civil servants of the sub-department gave enthusiastic instructions and followed procedures quickly and in accordance with regulations. After each flight, if an isolated person who was infected with Covid was infected, the officer on duty that day had to go for testing.”

Customs officers of Noi Bai international airport handle
luggage of passengers entering. Photo: HQHN

The Customs of Tan Son Nhat International Airport checked
the luggage at the underground scanner area. Photo: Minh Hung

Our reporter once witnessed a flight back to the country to avoid the pandemic at Can Tho International Airport from the moment the plane was about to land until the last passenger boarded the bus to the isolated area, which took nearly three hours. With so much time in protective suits, gloves, goggles and hoods we could feel the discomfort, but the officials and civil servants here have to regularly work long hours in the same outfits, not to mention the risk of infection.

Saying goodbye to Can Tho, we visited Tan Son Nhat International Airport on the days of the New Year's Eve and we noticed that the atmosphere was quiet, the forces at the border were all dressed in anti-pandemic green clothing. Unlike every year, during days bordering Tet, Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs makes procedures for nearly 200 flights a day, this year, in medical protective clothing, the customs officers here directly pick up and check in for special flights.

After instructing the Imported Baggage Claim Team to complete procedures for the rescue flight to Vietnam, Deputy Director Nguyen Thi Cam Chau shared: To facilitate the pick-up and check-in for the flights. At the airport, Tan Son Nhat International Airport Customs Branch has arranged forces with protective clothing, and quickly makes procedures for flights. Taking charge of the frontline anti-pandemic work, with a high sense of responsibility to perform dual tasks while ensuring proper customs clearance and effective anti-pandemic work, the Customs Branch of Tan Son Nhat International Airport is always optimistic and motivates each other to fulfill assigned tasks.

This year, due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, XNC flights through Tan Son Nhat International Airport almost stopped. In 2020, the department checked in for more than 38,000 flights, with nearly 2.9 million XNC passengers, a decrease of more than 80% from the previous year. From May 24, 2020 up to now, on average, each month, the number of rescue flights and flights bringing passengers who are immigration specialists averaged about 68 flights per month, with more than 1,700 experts and above 3,000 passengers entered in 1 month. Up to now, the total number of rescue passengers entering through Tan Son Nhat airport is more than 24,000 people and nearly 14,000 experts. All entering passengers are given convenient procedures and safely quarantined, preventing the infection of civil servants on duty as well as into the community. Up to now, public officials in the unit still ensure good health, no one is infected. “It can be said that this is a great effort, a silent sacrifice - not afraid of difficulties and suffering and the success of the collective of cadres and civil servants in the unit - which is considered the front line in the work of disease prevention Cocvid-19,” Deputy Director Nguyen Thi Cam Chau emphasised.

The pandemic situation in the world is still very complex, there are more and more flights to bring Vietnamese citizens back home and foreign experts to Vietnam to work through Tan Son Nhat International Airport. Customs are still diligent, trying their best to continue maintaining economic security, political security and social safety, contributing to bringing spring to all families.

In the central region, at Cam Ranh International Airport, in 2020, there are also many flights to bring people to the country to avoid pandemic. Cam Ranh International Airport Customs Branch (Khanh Hoa Customs Department) assigned forces to quickly carry out procedures to assist people in completing immigration and isolation procedures according to regulations. Nguyen Duy Linh, Deputy Director of Cam Ranh International Airport Customs Sub-Department said in 2020, the Cam Ranh International Airport Border Gate Customs Sub-Department completed procedures for import and export for nearly 6,000 flights, with a total number of passengers nearly 1 million, including 62 rescue flights and foreign experts, with nearly 12,000 people. Despite struggling with pandemic prevention, but seeing people returning to their homeland happily and safely; civil servants working in this pandemic period, but safe, no one is infected is also the joy of the unit.

Guide for customs declaration when carrying out procedures for
passengers entering the country to avoid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Customs officers of Van Don Airport in protective suits against Covid-19 are carrying out
procedures for passengers entering the country to avoid the pandemic.

Customs officers of Van Don Airport (Quang Ninh Customs Department)
monitor luggage through the system of scanners and cameras. Photo: Q. Hung

At Van Don International Airport (Quang Ninh) these days, the image of Customs officers in traditional blue shirts wearing masks and protective clothing is familiar to each passenger. Understanding passengers’ wishes after the long journey ends, all options are carefully prepared by Customs officers and officers before each flight. At the places where passengers stop, the Customs forces arrange signposts to guide, instruct and separate soft fences so each passenger when setting foot in the airport can know the order of inspection procedures for luggage.

According to the observation of the reporter of the Customs Newspaper, during the process of handling the procedures for entry passengers, each Customs officer and officer contacted oncoming passengers originating from many countries like the UK, France, Germany, America and Japan where Covid-19 broke out strongly. At the time of the anti-pandemic rush, self-isolation at work is also a way that Van Don Airport Customs officers and civil servants to protect themselves and their families after white nights of immigration procedures rescue citizens returning from pandemic areas.

"In the peak months of pandemic prevention and control, the unit will arrange a living place for cadres and civil servants to quarantine themselves and not return to their families," said Deputy Customs Branch of Cam Pha Port (Customs Department Quang Ninh) Nguyen Dac Hieu, Team Leader of the Van Don Airport Working Group, shared.

Up to now, Van Don Airport Customs Working Group has received and completed procedures for more than 200 XNC flights, with more than 40,000 XNC passengers, of which there are 171 rescue flights, with more than 35,600 passengers entering. Most of the flights are not on fixed routes, even some are planned to land at Noi Bai International Airport, but had to drop down to Van Don International Airport. Therefore, each Customs officer and official must be proactive in their daily activities to be ready to accept their tasks when work arises.

“To ensure smooth procedures for each flight, 11 officers and civil servants of the Customs Working Group at Van Don airport are divided into two groups of operations, in case officials and civil servants are infected by Covid-19. Thus, with the number of existing cadres and civil servants, each Customs officer and employee must take 2-3 working positions, even overtime when the number of flights occurring during a day increases. The group leader is responsible for assigning cadres and civil servants at the stages and positions to ensure procedures (yard supervision, fuel monitoring, screening and marking procedures for goods, checked baggage and luggage. carry-on baggage), the process of checking checked baggage, carry-on baggage of passengers and crew is carried out strictly, strictly, in accordance with regulations, ensuring safety against Covid-19," Nguyen Dac Hieu added.

Spring has returned all over the country. Everyone is struggling with the joy of reuniting, in crowded ports, frontiers, and remote border gates, there are still customs officers on duty day and night to be ready to check flights, import and export shipments, ensure goods trade and fight smuggling and trade fraud to protect national economic security.