6 Afghan Foreigners Moved To Jakarta, Now NTT Ministry Of Law And Human Rights Accommodates 197 Refugees

A number of refugees demonstrate in front of the Regional Office of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights of NTT. ANTARA Photo/Kornelis Kaha

NTT - The Regional Office of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights (Kemenkumham) East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) has transferred six Afghan refugees to a third country via Jakarta during the first half of 2022.

The Head of Intelligence and Immigration Enforcement at the NTT Ministry of Law and Human Rights, Christian Penna, said the refugees were transferred in early July 2022.

"So from January to July 2022, six refugees have been transferred to Jakarta. The six refugees are all from Afghanistan," he said in Kupang, NTT, Friday, July 22.

He explained that the six refugees were from one family with the initials MBR and 3 (three) single refugees with the initials SM and their friends who previously occupied a temporary shelter in Kupang City.

The process of moving the six refugees, he said, was in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Christian said that the process of relocating a number of Afghans was carried out for various reasons.

The first reason is to facilitate the process of moving the refugees to third countries. As for which third country depends on the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Then, the second reason, the transfer was carried out because the refugees had a medical history that was difficult to handle in NTT due to problems with health facilities.

"If you go to Jakarta, of course, you can get many health facilities there," he said.

He added that with the relocation of the six refugees from Afghanistan, now the number of refugees temporarily accommodated in Kupang City, NTT remains 197 people.

Of the 197 refugees, three were Pakistani nationals and the rest were Afghan nationals. They are spread over three inns in Kupang City