4 PMIs From Lampung Abandoned In Turkey Return To Their Homeland

The head of the Lampung Migrant Workers Protection Agency (BP2MI), Ahmad Salabi, is having a conversation with PMI who have been repatriated from Turkey. Wednesday, in Bandar Lampung, (27/4/2022). (ANTARA/Dian Hadiyatna)

BANDARLAMPUNG - Four of the 11 Indonesian migrant workers (PMI) from Lampung who were stranded in Turkey have returned to their homeland safely.

"We will send them back and take them to their respective regions," said Head of the Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Agency (BP2MI) Lampung Ahmad Salabi, in Bandarlampung as reported by Antara, Wednesday, April 27.

He mentioned that the four PMIs who had returned came from East Lampung Regency, one person from Tulangbawang Barat, and one person from Waykanan. The rest of the PMI who are still in Turkey will gradually be repatriated.

"However, there is one PMI who refuses to be sent home because they are already working and are comfortable, so that only six people will be returned to the country," he said.

He explained that the 11 PMIs were able to reach Turkey because they were lured to work but not through official distributors in Indonesia.

"So they depart in November 2021 with the aim of traveling, the name is tourists must have a return ticket and go according to schedule," he said.

However, he continued, it turned out that the return tickets were not used by them because when they arrived in Turkey, these people were lured into getting a visa from Turkey to Poland but the visa did not arrive.

"Because the visas were not obtained, they were employed in Turkey. So they worked in Turkey for a while, but their income was not as expected," said Salabi.

Regarding whether there are indications of a criminal act of trafficking in persons (TPPO), Salabi said that this is the domain of the police. But he stressed that they are ready to help.

"We are ready to help the Lampung Police if there are indications of TIP in this case," he said.