Ho Chi Minh Municipal Border Guard is responsible for managing and protecting sovereignty, security, and social order and safety at port border gates and a water of 3,250 km2 (with nearly 30 km of sea border). In recent years, in response to the requirements of opening and international integration, the city's seaports have been developed and expanded, the flow of passengers, vehicles, and goods in and out of the area is increasing. Therefore, in addition to the positives, there have been also social evils that have made the local security, political, and social order, and safety situation, especially those at the port border gates, unstable. Notably, issues like drug trafficking and use, smuggling of rare animal products, wood, petroleum, and minerals, illegal transportation of goods, trade fraud, fishing disputes, or use of electrical impulses and explosives for fishing... tend to increase and show complicated developments. The port areas have tens of thousands of people coming in and out for work, including a significant number of seafarers. Particularly, there are ships anchoring and handling goods outside the ports with large areas and complex ocean currents that are difficult to control. Besides, the Covid-19 pandemic is complicated, while border gates and seaports are vulnerable to pathogens from other countries into Vietnam and infecting the community. Accordingly, firmly managing and protecting the sovereignty, security, and order of the sea border area in the city, especially the port border gates, is an urgent task. To fulfil, along with promoting the synergy of all levels, branches, and forces in the area, the City Border Guard has played a core role, closely coordinated with relevant forces, and synchronously deployed several solutions as follows.

Firstly, to advise and propose to the City Party Committee and City People's Committee to lead and direct the state management of national borders on sea border areas and port border gates. Importance has been attached to implementing resolutions and decrees on border protection and management and protection of security and order at port border gates... such as the Action Program and Plan for implementation of Resolution No.33-NQ/TW issued on September 28^th, 2018 by the Politburo on the National Border Protection Strategy, Vietnam Border Guard Law, and documents detailing the enforcement of the Law. At the same time, it has actively advised local Party committees and authorities to effectively implement the Government’s decrees, decisions, and regulations on border guard activities in the area, especially at the port border gates of the City. By grasping, forecasting, and assessing the situation, the City Border Guard Party Committee and Command have advised and assisted the City People's Committee to thoroughly observe and deploy to departments, sectors and agencies, local Party committees and authorities, specialised port state management agencies, port enterprises, ship agents, and people at the port border gates to effectively carry out the task. From time to time, the Border Guard has consulted the City People's Committee on policies and measures to promptly solve problems arising in border areas and seaports effectively, such as: Promulgating regulations on management, inspection, and supervision of seafarers, passengers, and  ships entering, exiting, transiting, and transferring ports and inland waterway vehicles arriving to, departing from, and operating at seaport border gates in the prevention of the Covid-19 to make an important contribution to improving the effectiveness of the City’s pandemic prevention and control.

Joint patrol at the coastal area

Strengthening professional measures in entry and exit control is an important content that has been seriously and effectively implemented by the City Border Guard. Thoroughly observing and implementing Decision No.15/2019/QĐ-TTg issued on March 28^th, 2019 by the Prime Minister on implementing electronic border guard procedures at border gates under the management of the Ministry of National Defence, the City Border Guard Command has proposed the City People's Committee to invest in building and providing technical equipment to improve the efficiency of border guard operations at border gate ports both to ensure strictness, accuracy, and science and smooth the procedures for enterprises under the one-stop mechanism. Along with that, implementing the Government's administrative reform policy, the City Border Guard has actively renewed the border gate work; organised the management, entry, and exit in compliance with international regulations; implemented electronic entry and exit declarations; applied multiple valuable software to shorten the time in performing administrative procedures; and organised forces and means to ensure absolute safety of military ships, foreign passenger ships, and student ships visiting the City (especially military ships). So far, all enterprises, agents, and border guard port stations of the City have had accounts to access the City Border Guard’s electronic portal. 100% of enterprises and agents have implement declarations and electronic border guard procedures in immigration activities of Vietnamese and foreign ships. In addition, the units have also actively combined procedures with propaganda and communication on the security and order situation in the area for ship owners, seafarers, and tourists upon entry; provided visitors with leaflets to instruct on historical sites. In addition, the City Border Guard has also closely coordinated with the forces, including Customs, Maritime Port Authority, and Medical Quarantine, in preventing, detecting, and handling pandemic and promptly warning of threats leading to the risk of insecurity. At the same time, it has supported port enterprises’ operations as prescribed by law.

Strengthening the coordination with other forces in combat readiness and management and protection of sovereignty and security of sea borders and port border gates is also a measure focused by the City Border Guard. The coordination has been carried out synchronously at all levels with comprehensive content, from grasping the situation, propagating, and mobilising the masses to coordinating in patrols and control for sovereignty and security protection, fighting against crimes, and search and rescue, etc. For high efficiency, the City Border Guard has actively developed, supplemented, and perfected coordination regulations and plans; maintained the regimes of information exchange, situation notification, periodic briefings and reviews; and clearly decentralised the scope and responsibilities in coordinating activities among the units. So far, the City Border Guard has signed coordination regulations with the City Military Command, agencies, including Public Security, Customs, Market Management, Maritime Port Authority, Centre for Disease Control, Department of Foreign Affairs - Ministry of National Defence, Import and Export Administration - Ministry of Public Security,  Import and Export Management Department - City Public Security, Port Authority of Inland Waterways, Regional Navigator Company 3, Board of Directors of port enterprises, and local Party committees and authorities of districts in protecting political security and social order and safety, implementing national defence tasks, and handling incidents at the border gates to ensure high consistency, efficiency, and non-overlapping in functions and tasks. Under the motto “Prevention is the main, and control is important”, the City Border Guard has stepped up activities to grasp the situation of the area and objects and focused on promoting the role of the reconnaissance force and the “eyes and ears” of the masses in detecting and fighting against crimes. By grasping the situation from different sources, the City Border Guard has promptly analysed and forecasted the situation to have appropriate handling policies for arising problems; actively developed and implemented professional plans amd specialised projects under border guard operations without being passive or surprised; coordinated with departments, agencies, City Military Command, Naval Region 2 Command, Coast Guard Region 3 Command, and Border Guards of adjacent provinces such as Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Tien Giang... in implementing the work of information exchange and provision, patrol coordination, and readiness to participate in the struggle to protect sea and island sovereignty; and coordinated with the Public Security and Customs in fighting, preventing, and handling crimes and social evils, especially drug trafficking, smuggling, and commercial fraud to contribute to maintaining security and order and create a favorable environment for the City to develop.

To build a strong people's border defence to create a foundation for the implementation of the task of managing and firmly protecting sovereignty, security, and order in port and sea border areas. The City Border Guard Party Committee has signed the 2022 - 2026 regulations on coordination of activities with Thu Duc City Party Committee, District 4 Party Committee, District 7 Party Committee, Nha Be District Party Committee, and Can Gio District Party Committee on improving the quality and efficiency of state management of national borders; exchange and providing information and building a strong border guard area; and closely coordinating with local Party committees, authorities, departments, and political and social unions in mobilising the masses to participate in the implementation of the “All People's Border Guard Day” and uphold their responsibilities in building and protecting sovereignty and security at the port border gates and  maritime borders. It has also coordinated with the City Youth Union and units in the internal emulation group in effectively implementing the Project entitled “Enhancing legal dissemination and education for cadres and people”; organising legal advice and distributing thousands of leaflets and video discs on security and order to display at workplaces, people receiving rooms of border guard posts and stations, and neighborhood (hamlet) news bulletins, etc. Besides, the City Border Guard has also worked closely with socio-political organisations to promote socio-economic development programs, improve people's intelligence, enhance people's livelihood, take care of public health, and build a new cultural life and effectively implemented movements and drives such as “Home for the poor on the border and islands”, “The Border Guard join hands to build new rural areas”, “Leave no one behind”, “Support children’s schooling”, “Clean the sea”, etc. to make an important contribution to strengthening the “People’s heart-and-mind posture” and creating a synergy to firmly protect the sovereignty, security, and order at the port border gates and sea border areas of the City in the new situation.

Senior Colonel TRAN THANH DUC, Commander of the City Border Guard Comman