The Ministry Of Social Affairs Program For TIP Victims Is Lack Of Interest, What's The Reason?

Illustration of victims of TIP/ Photo: Antara

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Social Affairs through the Bambu Apus Protection and Trauma Center (RPTC) stated that there are still few victims of the crime of trafficking in persons (TPPO) who take advantage of the government's business capital scheme.

"The Ministry of Social Affairs facilitates the protection, rehabilitation of social, repatriation and social reintegration based on referrals from the Indonesian Embassy or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs," said Head of the RPTC Working Group of the Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos) Anie Sulistyaningsih, quoting Antara, Sunday, August 6.

According to him, after being rehabilitated they were offered business capital. "However, there are still few who take advantage of it," he said.

From January to early August 2023, of the total 295 victims involved in the TIP case and rehabilitated at the Bambu Apus RPTC, only 10 percent or 29 to 30 people were willing to participate in the business capital program.

At the RPTC, victims of TIP receive basic needs, psychosocial and health support services during the legal process by the police and business capital for those interested.

The facility has been offered by the Ministry of Social Affairs to victims through a vocational training program, assistance for 2-3 months and is supported by the assistance of providing tools or goods that can be used for business capital in the future. However, the victims are still minimal in utilizing the business assistance.

According to him, the condition was because the government did not provide assistance in the form of money but in the form of tools or goods so that it did not attract interest. Even though this opportunity will help them to be economically independent and start a new life in society.

This fact is an evaluation for his party so that in the future it will further encourage victims to maximize these facilities because they have been mandated by law.

Based on Law Number 21 of 2007 concerning the Eradication of the Crime of Trafficking in Persons (TPPO) article 57 paragraph 2, the government and local governments are required to make policies, programs, activities and allocate budgets to carry out prevention and handling of the problem of trafficking in persons.

Coordinator of the Migrant Care Legal Aid Division, Nur Harsono, said that social rehabilitation institutions for victims of criminal acts of trafficking in persons are not enough only to reach the central level. However, it must also exist in provinces, districts or cities and even villages.

"Not all TIP victims are given recommendations by the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia (KBRI) to be rehabilitated by the Ministry of Social Affairs, so there needs to be trauma recovery measures to the regions", said Nur Harsono.

It is believed that the number of TIP cases continues to grow because many victims still do not dare or do not have access to complain.

Currently, the trend of TIP is starting to increase and switch to Thailand, Cambodia and the Philippines through the motives of online scamming workers or fraud through cyberspace. "With the lure of a lot of salary, Indonesian people are targeted by people trafficking," said Nur.

Therefore, strengthening synergies between state institutions and stakeholders is an important part so that it must be strengthened through the TIP task force which was just formed by the National Police Chief, General Listyo Sigit, in June 2023.