Viet Kieu, Deportation, and Real Estate

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

If you're Viet Kieu, along with the new visa exemptions that came out last year, you can now also own your own home in Vietnam easier according to a recent government decree on owning land in the country, which like the recent U.S. economic stimulus package being thrown around, is being offered to counter the relatively low (130) new house purchases since 2006 by Viet Kieu who number about 3.2 million.

At the same time, in a somewhat more complicated and controversial matter, the U.S. has signed a new agreement with Vietnam to send Vietnamese back to the country if they have U.S. deportation orders, which previously was not able to be done because of Vietnam's refusal of acceptance and the relationship between the U.S. and Vietnam.

Here's a quote from Rep. Zoe Lofgren from a recent Orange County Register article addressing the impact that the new agreement may have on Vietnamese who left the country for political reasons:

Absolutely people who will be returned can expect to face very harsh treatment from the communists. I think it is unbelievable the administration would do this. The people who escape from Cuba – we don't send them to Castro. This is insane.
Read more here on the pact from the Orange County Register as well as the NY Times.