131 Troubled Indonesian Migrant Workers Have Returned From Malaysia, Transported Using Garuda Indonesia And Quarantined At Wisma Atlet Hospital

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The government has again facilitated the repatriation of 131 Troubled Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMIB) or Indonesian citizens (WNI) from the second wave of vulnerable groups from Malaysia through Soekarno-Hatta Airport (Soetta), Banten Province, on Sunday 27 June.

Director-General of Development of Manpower Placement and Expansion of Employment Opportunities (Binapenta and PKK) of the Ministry of Manpower, Suhartono, in a written statement in Jakarta, Monday, June 28, stated that as many as 131 PMIB arrived at 14.00 p.m. local time using Garuda Indonesia aircraft. Before returning to their area of origin, they will undergo a five-day quarantine at the Wisma Atlet Hospital Kemayoran, Central Jakarta.

He explained that the 131 PMIBs deported from Malaysia consisted of 63 men and 68 women.

"In this group, there are 3 toddlers, 2 boys, and 1 girl. So a total of 131 PMIB/WNI, 63 boys and 68 girls", he said, quoted from Antara.

Based on information from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he said, initially the data for the return of this second wave of vulnerable groups amounted to 148 people. However, there were 10 people who failed to fly due to being positive for COVID-19.

"Currently, they are still in quarantine in Malaysia, 1 person was n labor, and 6 people are categorized as close contact with the positive. So only 131 PMIB/WNI are fit to fly", he said.

Furthermore, Suhartono explained that 131 people who were repatriated came from 17 provinces. Most came from East Java and North Sumatra as many as 36 people, West Java (10), and followed by West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara, and Lampung with 7 people each.

Furthermore, PMIB/WNI from Aceh and South Sumatra each 6 people, followed by Central Java (4), Jambi (3), West Sumatra and Central Sulawesi (2), and West Kalimantan, Riau, Riau Islands, West Sulawesi, and Yogyakarta 1 person each.

"The cost of repatriation from Malaysia to Indonesia is borne by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs using the budget for protecting Indonesian citizens. Meanwhile, the repatriation to the area of origin will be carried out by BP2MI and the Ministry of Social Affairs", he said.

He added that the repatriation of 131 PMIB/WNI was carried out with due regard to health protocols.

"After arriving at Wisma Atlet, a PCR test was carried out and the PCR was returned the day before returning to the area of origin", Suhartono said.