Seriously Sick Parents In The Village, A Family Of Indonesian Migrant Workers In Sabah Desperate To Return Through Illegal Paths

NUNUKAN - Dozens of Indonesian migrant workers (PMI) from Kalabakan, Sabah, Malaysia, returned via illegal routes in Seimenggaris District, Nunukan, Kaltara. They are desperate to go home through illegal routes because of the pressure of their parents' condition.

They reasoned that his parents in the village in Nagekeo Regency, NTT, were seriously ill and were currently being treated at a local hospital.

Rafael Noi (58) PMI who works for a palm oil company in Kalabakan, Sabah, Monday, admitted that he wanted to come to his hometown in NTT because he received news that his mother was seriously ill.

In connection with the news, he and his wife, two children, son-in-law and three grandchildren chose to return home using an illegal route in Seimenggaris District.

However, while crossing the Indonesia-Malaysia border in Serudong-Seimenggaris he was caught by the Pamtas Yonarhanud 16/SBC/3 Kostrad soldier on Friday, 19 June.

Finally, these dozens of PMIs were accommodated in Nunukan Flats before being sent back to their hometowns by the Nunukan PMI Protection Agency (BP2MI).

"Actually, we went home because our parents were very sick in the village. So I took the illegal route because I wanted to get to the village quickly," said Rafael Noi, quoted by Antara, Monday, June 21.

They also hope to return to their hometown as soon as possible to meet their parents who are sick and are being treated at the hospital. However, they cannot be sent home because they have to wait for the results of the PCR examination from the Nunukan Hospital.

Rafael, who is from Olakile Village, Boawae District, Nagekeo Regency, NTT, explained that he returned to his hometown with his two grandsons who were still babies, a girl and a boy.

Head of BP2MI Nunukan Kombes Hotma Viktor Sihombing confirmed that as many as 15 PMIs were secured by the Pamtas Yonarhanud 16/SBC/3 Kostrad Task Force at the Indonesia-Malaysia border in Seimenggaris District.

Since dozens of these PMIs were caught by the Pamtas Task Force soldiers, their return to their hometowns is the responsibility of BP2MI Nunukan.

The plan to repatriate dozens of PMIs to NTT after the results of the second PCR examination have been issued by the Nunukan COVID-19 Handling Task Force.