61 PMI Bodies Returned To NTT Until Mid-2023, Generally Illegal Migrant Workers

A total of 61 bodies of Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI) were repatriated to East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) during the January-June 2023 period.

"The total number of PMI deaths from NTT is 61 people and one PMI child, all of whom were returned to NTT via El Tari Airport, Kupang," said Head of the Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Agency (BP2MI) Kupang Siwa when confirmed in Kupang, NTT, Friday, June 9, which was confiscated by Antara.

Siwa explained that most of the PMIs who were repatriated died in Malaysia and some of them died in other areas in the country.

In general, he continued, the body being sent home was PMI who left to work outside NTT without pocketing official work documents, aka illegal.

He said, when the body was returned, BP2MI Kupang officers facilitated picking up the bodies at the airport and delivering them to their hometowns.

Furthermore, Siwa said that on various occasions, his party continued to remind residents that when they intended to work as PMI abroad they should take legal channels according to existing regulations.

When going through legal channels, he continued, PMI is well prepared in terms of skills, work documents, and is placed clearly by labor distribution companies.

In addition, the existence of a legal PMI is also more secure in terms of security and comfort in working and avoiding the practice of trafficking in persons.