The Impact Of The COVID-19 Pandemic, Sending Migrant Workers From West Java To Overseas Slumped To 15,000 People

Head of the Manpower and Transmigration Office of West Java Province, Rachmat Taufik Garsadi (ANTARA)

JABAR - Head of the Manpower and Transmigration Office of West Java Province, Rachmat Taufik Garsadi, said that the number of Indonesian migrant workers from West Java overseas had dropped to 15 thousand people due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Every year the average Indonesian migrant worker (from West Java is 57,000 people). Meanwhile, entering the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, it has decreased. Only sending around 15 thousand migrant workers," said R Taufik Garsadi after the event at Gedung Sate Bandung, Between, Tuesday, December 21.

According to Taufik, currently West Java has an electronic-based West Java Migrant Service Center (JMSC) management system and can be utilized or used by the community and all stakeholders to facilitate service and synergy as well as navigation, especially for migrant workers.

According to him, the protection of Indonesian migrant workers is a mandate from Law Number 18 of 2017 and subsequently based on the Regional Regulation of the Province of West Java Number 2 of 2021 concerning the Implementation of the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers from the West Java Province, a one-stop integrated service or Jabar Migrant Service must be established. Center.

He said there are several activities that are being and will be carried out regarding the management system activities of the West Java Migrant Service Center, including the formulation of a "business plan" and "business process" from the West Java Migrant Service Center.

"At the same time as the process of formulating this 'business plan', socialization of JMSC has also been held to various regional apparatuses, companies, and organizations," he said.

Meanwhile, West Java Governor M Ridwan Kamil added that until now West Java is in the top three sending Indonesian migrant workers.

In addition, Ridwan Kamil continued, several problems were still found regarding Indonesian migrant workers from West Java.

"Then there is still slavery of crew members, trafficking through the BKK (special job market) mode, there are still many migrant workers who are threatened with the death penalty, the vulnerability of migrant domestic workers to physical, sexual and psychological violence is still high," he said.

Then the vulnerability of migrant workers during the pandemic and information and data systems that have not been integrated.

He further said that several efforts were made by the West Java Provincial Government, including by expanding job opportunities, increasing the competitiveness of prospective workers.

Then improve labor governance by building an integrated information and data system through the construction of the West Java Migrant Service Center (JMSC) management system.