In Two Days, Malaysia Expelled 254 Troubled Indonesian Migrant Workers To Nunukan

JAKARTA - For two days, as many as 254 Indonesian migrant workers (PMI) from the working area of the Indonesian Consulate General (KJRI) Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, were evicted by the Malaysian Government to Nunukan Regency, North Kalimantan.

Head of the Protection and Empowerment Section of PMI BP2MI, Nunukan Regency, Arbain confirmed that starting Thursday, April 22, 149 PMIs were sent home from Sabah consisting of 133 boys, 14 girls and two boys.

Meanwhile, as of today, Friday, April 23, 105 people were sent home, consisting of 96 men, eight women and one boy.

"The total of the two days of repatriation from Malaysia reached 254 people," said Arbain in Nunukan, Friday, April 24.

Of the total 254 PMIs that were expelled, 229 men, women (22) and boys (3) were respectively. Then the origin of the area is South Sulawesi (156), Southeast Sulawesi (14), Central Sulawesi (1), West Sulawesi (4), NTT (40), NTB (4), West Kalimantan (4), Kaltara (29), East Java (2).

"All 254 PMIs who were sent home in April 2021 work in the KJRI KK (Kota Kinabalu) working area," said Arbain.

Hundreds of PMIs who were repatriated have served their sentences in temporary detention centers in the KJRI KK working area, namely PTS Kemanis Papar, PTS Menggetal Kota Kinabalu, PTS Sibuga Sandakan.

Arbain added that before being returned to Nunukan Regency, PMI was guaranteed to be free from COVID-19 based on the results of the examination or rapid antigen obtained from the Indonesian Consulate General in Kota Kinabalu.

However, to ensure that all deportant PMIs are completely free of COVID-19, the Nunukan Regency Government will again carry out a swab where the results will be known before they are returned to their respective hometowns.