Reveals 4 Migrant Worker Protection Problems, Minister Karding: The Main Source Departs Illegally

Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs (Menko Polkam) Budi Gunawan. (Rizky A-VOI)

JAKARTA - Minister of Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (P2MI) Abdul Kadir Karding revealed four problems for migrant workers who were also one of the reasons for establishing a coordination desk for the protection of Indonesian migrant workers.

"The average problem faced by Indonesian migrant workers, be it violence or exploitation, even human trafficking (human trafficking) the main source, one of which is because our migrant workers departed illegally or non-procedurally," said Minister Karding at a press conference at the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Office in Jakarta, Thursday, March 13, was confiscated by Antara.

Minister Karding said the number of migrant workers departing procedurally or on official channels, to date, has reached 5.3 million people. Meanwhile, workers departing unprocedurally or illegally reached 4.3 million in 2017 based on a World Bank survey.

His ministry noted that 90-95 percent of workers who had problems were workers who departed illegally.

"So actually the key to the problem if we can close with this procedure, then God willing, there are not too many problems with Indonesian migrant workers," he said.

Then, competence or ability becomes the second problem that migrant workers often face. This is because as many as 80 migrant workers are individuals who were previously household workers or domestic workers.

"And of the 80 percent, 70 percent of women, and the average education is elementary and junior high schools, a little high school. So you can imagine how vulnerable or potential it is to violence," said Karding.

The third problem is language and the fourth problem is mental, because not a few migrant workers have just moved abroad and want to return to their homeland.

Furthermore, Karding said that his ministry had taken a number of steps to prevent non-procedural departures from continuing to increase.

The areas that are of special concern are areas that are the largest contributors to the origin of migrant workers, namely East Java, West Java, Central Java, NTB, Lampung, and the city of Medan, North Sumatra.

Second, encouraging socialization so that workers go legally because the level of awareness of the importance of leaving according to the new procedure reaches 40 percent. Third, maximize prevention and protection through a quick reaction team.

"Fourth of course we will collaborate and we are grateful that the Coordinating Minister (Polkam) today initiated the formation of a desk (PMI protection coordination). We hope that this Decree will later become a collaboration forum and our synergy to participate in dealing with problems related to the quality of our protection or governance," explained Karding.

The coordination desk for the protection of migrant workers is a coordination team initiated by the Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs (Menko Polkam) Budi Gunawan and aims to maximize the protection of Indonesian migrant workers.

The Dec is chaired by the Ministry of Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers and involves the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Immigration and Corrections, Bareskrim Polri, TNI, and the Attorney General's Office.