Moeldoko Leads The Preparation Of Troubled PMI Repatriation Protocols

Head of KSP Moeldoko. (doc. KSP)

JAKARTA - Dr. Moeldoko, the Chief of Presidential Staff of the Republic of Indonesia, initiated and led the preparation of the problematic Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI) repatriation protocol from the placement country to the Debarkation or Airport and Port in Indonesia. This step is taken so that the process of repatriating problematic PMIs can be faster and still according to the rules.

General TNI (Ret.) Dr. Moeldoko, said that currently there is still a vacancy in the regulation on the repatriation of problematic PMIs, causing the process of repatriating problematic PMIs to often last a long time.

He gave an example of the repatriation of PMIs who were victims of apartment fires in South Korea. At that time, at that time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemlu) had difficulty issuing a budget to repatriate PMIs that were dispatched by the government because the Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Agency (BP2MI) as the implementer of the placement was not given the authority to repatriate PMIs with problems before arriving at the Debarkation.

"Indeed, in the end, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was able to repatriate it. But that's after we held several coordination meetings. Cook later if there are PMIs who experience problems, we still have to go on a coordination meeting first and then they can return them. This protocol will give our flexibility to protect PMI abroad," said Moeldoko when chairing a decision-making meeting regarding PMI's protocol for repatriation. Troubled from a country to placement to a debaration, at the Bina Graha building, Jakarta, Tuesday (16/1).

Moeldoko said the problematic PMI repatriation protocol would complement existing regulations, namely Permenko PMK No 03/2016 concerning Roadmaps for Repatriation and Empowerment of Troubled Indonesian Workers, as well as BP2MI Regulation No. 03/2019 (or the change) concerning Technical Guidelines for Services for Return of Troubled Indonesian Migrant Workers to their Regions of origin.

He added that in Permenko No. 03/2016, the repatriation of PMI Troubled by the government can only be carried out if it is in a state of emergency. Such as natural disasters, outbreaks, disease, war, massive deportation, and placement countries no longer guarantee the safety of problematic PMIs.

"Even though there are certain cases that are not regulated in the Permenko PMK. For this reason, the protocol continues to be formalized immediately. I hope this one or two weeks is finished and we can sign it together," he said.

Moeldoko explained that the problematic PMI repatriation protocol from the placement country to the Debarkation only applies to PMIs placed by the government, and is caused by cases outside the provisions of Permenko PMK No. 03/2016. The problem PMI Repatriation protocol, he continued, only includes sending the government from the embarcation to the debarcation, and being a short-term solution to the regulations governing this. Meanwhile, the mechanism for repatriation from the hometown has been regulated in the BP2MI Regulation.

"If there are rules above it, this protocol certainly does not apply anymore. But it can be an instrument in the Presidential Decree (improvement of PMI placement governance and protection from upstream to downstream)," said Moeldoko.

On that occasion, Moeldoko warned that the resolution of PMI problems would not only be carried out on the downstream side, but also upstream. Moreover, President Joko Widodo has mandated to improve the governance of PMI placement which has been regulated in Law No. 18/2017 concerning the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers.

For information, the decision-making meeting related to the problematic PMI repatriation protocol from the placement country to the debarkation was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Manpower, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture, Bappenas, the Ministry of Finance, the Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Agency (BP2MI), and the Indonesian Migrant Workers Placement Company (P3MI).

"No Indonesian citizens abroad should face difficulties, who does what and the budget must be clear, including in governance," said Moeldoko.