BNPT Calls Proposal For Repatriation Of Indonesian Citizens In FTF Tersociation To President Jokowi

Deputy for Enforcement and Capability Development of BNPT Inspector General Pol. Ibnu Suhaendra at an event in the Pasar Minggu area, Jakarta, Thursday (16/5/2024). (ANTARA/Rio Feisal)

JAKARTA - The National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) said it had proposed repatriation or repatriation of Indonesian citizens (WNI) which was associated with Foreign Terrorist Fighters (FTF) to President Joko Widodo (Jokowi).

Deputy for Enforcement and Capability Development of BNPT Inspector General Pol. Ibnu Suhaendra said the proposal was made taking into account the condition of Indonesian citizens affiliated with FTF, especially those in Syria.

"Of the many countries whose citizens left for Syria joined ISIS, then were detained in camps in Al Hawl and Al Roj, there are three countries that have not picked up their citizens, one of which is Indonesia," said Ibnu in the Pasar Minggu area, Jakarta, Thursday, May 16, which was confiscated by Antara.

He mentioned a number of countries that have implemented repatriation policies, including Uzbekistan, Kirgiztan, Russia, Britain, the United States, Australia, Malaysia, Morocco, and France.

Therefore, he hopes that the repatriation policy can be approved and enforced by President Jokowi.

"Hopefully we can pick up our citizens in the camps, who have joined ISIS, have radical understanding, we will deradicalize them here," he said.

Meanwhile, he explained that his institution had prepared a deradicalization program in the country, namely the Handayani Center in Cipayung District, East Jakarta. He then explained that the program was a form of cooperation between BNPT and the Ministry of Social Affairs.

In addition, he said that his institution had held coordination meetings with a number of related parties such as Customs and Excise, Immigration, State Intelligence Agency (BIN), TNI Strategic Intelligence Agency (Bais), Densus 88 Polri.

He said that from the coordination meeting, verification and identification had been carried out stating that around 375 Indonesian citizens needed to be sent home, including children.

"If our children stay there, the character, the brain will become a strong, radical understanding. This is what we must prevent. Don't let our children become combatants to be used as martils there," he said.

Meanwhile, he explained that repatriation policies can be carried out because there are regulations that contain this, namely the Decree of the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Number 90 of 2023 concerning the Task Force for Handling Indonesian Citizens Abroad who are Associated with Foreign Terrorist Fighters.

"The policy of handling our citizens which is associated with Foreign Terrorist Fighters, the handling will start before the border and after at the border," he said.