Victims Of Migrant Worker Fraud: A Total Of 29 Indonesian Citizens From Bali Who Were Abandoned In Turkey Have Been Handled By The Indonesian Embassy In Ankara

Handling of Indonesian citizens who are victims of fraud from Bali by Indonesian representatives in Turkey. (Photo: Antara/Documentation of the Indonesian Embassy in Ankara)

JAKARTA - The case of 29 Indonesian citizens from Bali who were reported as victims of fraud and abandoned in Istanbul has been handled by the Indonesian Representative in Turkey since February 2022.

"The Governor of Bali, Wayan Koster, has communicated directly with Foreign Minister Retno regarding this case. This is entirely a case of fraud and the placement of non-procedural Indonesian workers with strong indications of the criminal act of trafficking in persons. We will focus on providing protection to victims and punishing perpetrators, both living in Bali and in Turkey," said Indonesian Ambassador to Turkey Lalu Muhamad Iqbal in a written statement from the Indonesian Embassy in Ankara received by Antara in Jakarta, Sunday.

Of the 29 Indonesian citizens, he continued, 5 people have returned to Bali.

"A total of 16 Indonesian citizens were evacuated by the Indonesian Consulate General in Istanbul from illegal shelters to temporary shelters at the Indonesian Consulate General in Istanbul and 8 others were scattered and worked illegally in a number of cities in Turkey," he said.

Ambassador Iqbal said the 29 Indonesian citizens were illegally dispatched by a network of individual Indonesian citizens. "One person lives in Istanbul and several others live in Bali," added Ambassador Iqbal.

Based on information, he continued, the Indonesian citizens were promised to work in Turkey with a large salary legally and be given a decent place to live.

For this reason, the victims paid various amounts with an average payment of IDR 25 million and a maximum of IDR 40 million.

"The victims were dispatched using tourist visas," said Iqbal.

Until the months of their existence in Turkey, he explained, the victims did not get the promised jobs, were not granted work permits, and lived in illegal shelters in very inappropriate conditions.

Consul General in Istanbul Imam Asari said his party received the first complaint on February 4, 2022.

"The next day the Indonesian Consulate General's Protection Team in Istanbul immediately saw the location and found them living in illegal shelters that were very unfit for habitation, especially in the middle of the ongoing winter in Istanbul. Most of them were overstayed and did not have work permits," said Imam.

In addition to being given protection in the form of providing proper shelter, he said, the victims are planned to be returned to Bali in the near future.