Before Returning To The Village, Hundreds Of PMIs From Central Java Undergo Quarantine

Head of Central Java Manpower and Transmigration Office Sakina Rosellasari (Photo via Central Java Provincial Government)

SEMARANG - The Central Java Provincial Government has confirmed that the return of Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI) from Central Java has gone through strict screening, to ensure that they are free from COVID-19. During the period from January 1 to February 6, 2022, 606 PMIs have returned from abroad.

The head of the Central Java Manpower and Transmigration Office, Sakina Rosellasari, said that before entering Central Java hundreds of PMIs had gone through a quarantine mechanism. Quarantine is centered in two places, namely Wisma Atlet Jakarta and Wisma Haji Sukolilo Surabaya.

The length of the quarantine duration varies from 10-14 days, depending on the country of origin of PMI's work. For example, from Hong Kong and Africa, the quarantine period is up to 14 days. As for other countries, the quarantine period is around 10 days.

Until now, there have been 564 PMIs who have completed the quarantine period.

"Migrant workers from Central Java enter through two embarkations, namely Soekarno-Hatta airport and Juanda airport in Surabaya. Soekarno-Hatta already has an SOP (Standard Operational Procedure) from which country to quarantine. (The length of) quarantine is according to the initial country," said Sakina, Monday February 7th.

With this condition, it is hoped that PMI's health condition will be prime before entering the Central Java region. In addition, this procedure is considered safer, compared to the process carried out in 2020.

Sakina said that the return of 606 PMIs who had finished their work was carried out in batches from January 1 to February 6, 2022. The data was sourced from the Director General of Immigration through SISKO BP2MI.

Most of them came from destination countries for migrant workers such as Malaysia (199 people), Hong Kong (139 people), Singapore (94 people), Taiwan (81 people) and South Korea (42 people). The purpose of their return to the Regencies of Cilacap, Brebes, Kendal, Kebumen and Banyumas.

"God willing, it will be safer than 2020. In that year, there were still flights from Singapore to Ahmad Yani, then ships from Pontianak via Tanjung Emas, then quarantined to BPSDMD. Now through Soekarno Hatta and Juanda, entering Central Java is safe because they are checked, PCR and quarantine first and there is a travel document," he said.

Finally, he said that he would continue to cooperate with BP2MI (Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Agency) regarding the repatriation of PMIs from Central Java.