Ministry Of Foreign Affairs Returns 172 Indonesian Crew Members Who Were Detained In Fiji

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JAKARTA - The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with the Indonesian Embassy in Suva, succeeded in facilitating the return of 172 Indonesian crew members (WNI) who had been detained from returning from Fiji.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that the detention of Indonesian crew members was due to the policy of closing borders and international flights implemented by the Fiji Government since May 2021. Most of the crew members had been at sea for more than two years.

“After going through intensive diplomatic efforts, the relevant authorities in Fiji gave permission to sign off and repatriate flights. While on board the ship, the Indonesian Embassy in Suva also provided logistical assistance to the Indonesian crew members," the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement, Wednesday, June 16.

After successfully repatriating, the Indonesian crew members finally arrived at Soekarno-Hatta Airport on Wednesday, June 16 evening, using Garuda Indonesia charter flights.

During the repatriation, the bodies of two Indonesian crew members who died on board the ship were also repatriated. Based on the autopsy results, the two bodies died of non-COVID-19 illnesses so they were allowed to be returned to the country.

"During the COVID-19 pandemic, the repatriation of Indonesian ABK/migrant workers from abroad experienced great challenges, given the strict restriction policies implemented by various countries," the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs added.

The success of this effort to repatriate Indonesian crew members is the result of bilateral cooperation between Indonesia and Fiji, as well as coordination that is said to be going well between relevant Ministries/Institutions in the country, in particular to facilitate the arrival of Indonesian crew members and hold companies accountable for dispatching crew members.