146 Indonesian Citizens From A Number Of Provinces Successfully Returned From Saudi Arabia To Indonesia

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (KP2MI), managed to repatriate hundreds of Indonesian citizens (WNI) of illegal migrant workers to the country.

A total of 146 Indonesian citizens arrived back in the country via Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Friday, January 24.

"The Indonesian citizens are overstayers who were previously at the Tarhil Sumaysi Immigration Detention Center," said the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement on January 24.

"Most of them are illegal migrant workers who have worked in Saudi Arabia in the last three years," the ministry continued.

Furthermore, it was explained that Indonesian citizens arrived using commercial flights and were greeted by the Minister of Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (KP2MI), as well as ranks from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and KP2MI.

Previously, the Indonesian Consulate General in Jeddah had helped process the administration of travel documents, coordinated with the immigration authorities and local police, and accompanied Indonesian citizens from Saudi Arabia to arrival in the country.

Those who were successfully discharged this time consisted of 27 men and 119 women. In terms of age, 130 of them are adults and the rest are children.

Most Indonesian citizens come from the provinces of West Java and West Nusa Tenggara. In addition, some come from Banten, DKI Jakarta, Central Java, East Java, Riau, South Kalimantan, Central Sulawesi, South Sulawesi and East Nusa Tenggara.

One PMI with the initials N who is 45 years old from Karawang Regency. The case was a public concern because he suffered from paralysis, including among those who were successfully repatriated.

N is known to have previously worked in Abha Province since 2017. He said he had left for Saudi Arabia three times.

It is known that the Indonesian government at the beginning of 2025 succeeded in facilitating the repatriation of 554 Indonesian overstayers from Saudi Arabia which were divided into three waves.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs appealed that Indonesian citizens can migrate safely, especially to work abroad, in order to avoid problems in the destination country.