Indonesian Ministry Of Foreign Affairs Guards The Repatriation Of 152 Indonesian Citizens Deported From Saudi Arabia For Violating Residence Permits

Airport illustration (Photo: dock. Antara)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemlu) oversees the repatriation of 152 Indonesian citizens deported from Saudi Arabia. Where, the Indonesian citizen violates the residence permit and works non-procedurally in the country.

A written statement from the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jakarta, Saturday, stated that they returned to Indonesia via Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Tangerang, on commercial flights on Thursday, May 1.

Quoted by Antara, most of them are Indonesian migrant workers (PMI) who work non-procedurally and then face legal and immigration problems in Saudi Arabia, so they are detained at the Syumaisi immigration detention facility (Tarhil) in Makkah.

Of the total 152 Indonesian citizens, there are 130 women, 13 men and 9 children or toddlers, most of whom come from provinces with high migration rates such as West Java and West Nusa Tenggara.

According to the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the deportation process took place through intensive coordination between the Indonesian government and local authorities and cooperation with relevant agencies.

The Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia (KJRI) Jeddah also provided direct assistance, including in managing travel documents and coordinating with local officials, in ensuring their safety and return to Indonesia.

Since the beginning of the year until now, the Indonesian government has facilitated repatriation of up to 1,304 Indonesian citizens for violating the residence permit in Saudi Arabia in seven repatriated waves.

The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also appealed to Indonesian citizens who want to work abroad to follow official procedures that apply in order to avoid legal risks and immigration violations in the destination country.

Minister of Protection for Indonesian Migrant Workers (KP2MI) Abdul Kadir Karding, on March 15, 2025, revealed that around 70 percent of non-procedural Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI) in Middle Eastern countries are women.

He said the condition would be the government's full concern in handling and overcoming cases of illegal migrant workers.

"So, now the ministry is making a profile and we have coordinated with the police, BIN, TNI and immigration. Yesterday, we formed a special desk for protecting Indonesian migrant workers and TIP (criminal acts of trafficking in persons)," he quoted Antara as saying.