Deputy Foreign Minister Arramanatha: Prevention Upstream Is The Key To Success In Reducing Cases Regarding Indonesian Citizens-PMI

JAKARTA - Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Arrmanatha Ch. Nasir assessed that the handling of problems upstream is the key in reducing cases related to Indonesian citizens (WNI) and Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI) abroad.

Throughout the past year, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs handled around 67,297 cases regarding Indonesian citizens abroad. Of that number, 60,122 of them were successfully resolved.

This figure increased both in the number of cases handled and the success of the cases resolved when compared to 2023 by 26 percent, in which in the year there were 53,598 cases handled and 50,349 cases successfully resolved.

"The increase in case settlement is not enough to stop the increase in the number of cases, or reduce the total number of cases," said the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia in a statement at the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thursday, February 13.

"There is no correlation between the ability to resolve cases and the soaring cases," he continued.

Furthermore, the senior diplomat who is familiarly called Pak Tata said, in addition to improving performance and innovation downstream, in representatives of the Republic of Indonesia. No less important is to overcome the root of the problem upstream.

"Early prevention upstream is the key to success in reducing the number of cases regarding PMI and Indonesian citizens abroad," said Pak Tata.

"How great it is that we can solve cases abroad, but if the cases continue to increase like in 2024, it will be a lot of resources that will be wasted," he said.

In this regard, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia said that the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the establishment of the Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Ministry (KP2MI) which is expected to increase prevention efforts and deal with problems upstream.

That way, continued Pak Tata, the increase in cases related to Indonesian citizens and PMI abroad could be reduced.

Data from the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs based on self-report data, currently there are around 1,974,753 Indonesian citizens abroad. However, that number does not include those who do not report themselves or are abroad, not with procedural channels.

The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia added that the cases experienced by Indonesian citizens-PMI can be classified as general cases and special cases. The general case includes the problem of misuse of visas, overstays, employment, or someone who dies, criminal or civil.

Throughout 2024, there were 62,120 special cases, with 55,984 cases or around 90.12 percent successfully resolved.

As for special cases, such as emergency problems, the Crime of Trafficking in Persons (TPPO) and Indonesian citizens who were threatened with death were 5,174 throughout last year, with around 4,138 cases successfully resolved.