Hanoi (AsiaNews) – Starting last year, large-scale land expropriations and forced evictions have become among the most significant social issues in Vietnam, and are likely to continue.
Vietnam’s National Assembly is meeting this month in an extraordinary session to debate a major overhaul to the 2024 Land Law. Amendments are expected to be approved by October after a record-breaking legislative process of just four months, one of the fastest in Vietnam's history.
The changes include a technical alignment with the new two-tier government model adopted in 2025. This will substantially modify land pricing, and expand the cases in which the state can repossess land, redefine enforcement measures for unused land, and introduce digital compliance requirements.
The extraordinary session was convened on 28 July by the Standing Committee of Vietnam’s highest legislative body, the unicameral National Assembly, for 3-24 August 2026.
Several bills will be considered, in addition to amendments to the Land Law, which were made public on 20 July. The draft law is expected to be effective on 1 March 2027.
The extraordinary session is divided into two phases: from 3 to 13 August and from 19 to 24 August. During this time, the National Assembly is expected to pass 15 bills and four resolutions. Furthermore, it will hold its first debate on the amended Criminal Code.
Hoàng Lan Nhung, director of the Information Department of the National Assembly Office, emphasised a "very high level of political determination" to "immediately address urgent issues" emerging from the upcoming session.
Some of the changes to the 2024 Land Law are significant, giving the authorities the power to expropriate land before adopting compensation, assistance, and resettlement plans for those affected.
Some of the changes are under development primarily by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, which on 20 July submitted an official request for feedback from relevant ministries, government agencies, local authorities, associations, and organisations, granting them three days to reply.
The changes also include the elimination of the land price determination mechanism, replaced by provincial adjustment coefficients. Responsibility will be divided between provinces and municipalities.
The state will be able to seize residual land once the investor exceeds the 75 per cent threshold established by the agreement. Cases for state expropriation will increase while the national cadastral records should be ready by the end of 2026.
The National Assembly adopted the existing land legislation on 18 January 2024, which entered into force on 1 August 2024. Changing it was not initially included in the National Assembly's agenda for 2026.
The changes are among the political tasks established and emphasised by the Communist Party of Vietnam during the third plenary session of its Central Committee, held recently.
Meanwhile, a series of large-scale projects promoted under the banner of "investment and business development" have been launched across Vietnam, ultimately putting hundreds of thousands of families at risk of losing their homes and land.
Among them are the Red River Scenic Boulevard megaproject, which impacts approximately 200,000 people, the Gia Binh International Airport project, which affects more than 7,000 households, and the Long Thành Airport project, which affects another 4,500 households.
