Encourage Officials To Arrest TIP Bandar Besar, BP2MI Reveals 4.3 Million PMIs Depart Illegally Abroad

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Migrant Worker Protection Agency (BP2MI) has asked law enforcement officials to reveal the big cities behind the rampant criminal acts of trafficking in persons or TIPs that occur in various regions in Indonesia.

BP2MI Secretary General Rinardi said around 4.3 million Indonesian migrant workers (PMI) were illegally dispatched abroad by the migrant worker departure service company.

Rinardi supports the rapid efforts made by the police in uncovering and arresting brokers for the departure of workers abroad in the past week in a number of areas, including in Cianjur Regency.

"We hope that not only brokers will be arrested, but will eradicate large networks that have so far sent millions of migrant workers illegally and responsibly when workers get into trouble in placement countries," he told reporters in Cianjur, West Java, Tuesday, June 13, as reported by Antara.

So far, continued Rinardi, many large networks or mafias have netted prospective migrant workers through brokers in various regions with the lure of large salaries and comfortable placement of work. They are dispatched non-procedurally using passports and tourist visas.

Some time ago, said Rinardi, BP2MI had submitted five lists of names suspected of being major cities for the departure of illegal Indonesian migrant workers and hoped that they would be exposed soon and made arrests with the help of local governments.

"We ask for a report regarding the name suspected of being a major dealer for sending migrant workers to be immediately arrested and given impoverishment sanctions so that they no longer operate in the future," he said.

BP2MI noted that around 4.7 Indonesian citizens work abroad officially and are registered. However, data from the World Bank states that there are nine million Indonesians working abroad, so that 4.3 million Indonesians go to work abroad illegally.

To suppress cases of illegal migrant workers, BP2MI asked for the participation of all levels from local governments to village governments to socialize the importance of working abroad officially and in danger of illegally departing.