Rohingya Immigrants Admit Pay Agents IDR 50-66 Million Per Person To Take Ships To Indonesia

Rohingya Immigrants at the Idi Sport Center (ISC), East Aceh, Thursday (14/12/2023). BETWEEN/Hayaturrahmah

ACEH - Rohingya Immigrants who landed in Seuneubok Baroh Village, Darul Aman District, East Aceh Regency, Aceh Province, admitted to paying Rp50-66 million per person to board a ship from Bangladesh to Indonesia.

"We have agents. We pay 15 thousand ringgit per person (equivalent to Rp50 million). Some even pay 20 thousand ringgit (equivalent to Rp66 million) per person," said Sulaiman, a Rohingya immigrant who spoke in Malay, when met in East Aceh, Thursday, December 14, was confiscated by Antara.

Previously, Sulaiman along with 49 other Rohingya immigrants were unloaded from a ship in the coastal area of Seuneubok Baroh Village, Darul Aman District, East Aceh Regency, on Thursday, December 14, at around 03.45 WIB. They had run and hid in the bushes before they were finally found by the authorities.

Sulaiman admitted that their goal was not to Indonesia, but to Malaysia to work. However, the small ship they were traveling on suffered damage in the middle of the sea.

"We should have arrived five days, but because our ship was damaged in Thai waters, 20 days had just arrived. We called agents to be picked up," said Sulaiman.

After being unloaded into the waters of East Aceh Regency, the ship that picked them up immediately went to pick up the other immigrants.

"We are all 124 people on one ship. After we were deployed, the ship immediately went to pick up the others," said Sulaiman in the Malay language.

Head of the National and Political Unity Service (Kesbangpol) of East Aceh Regency, Iskandar, said 50 Rohingya immigrants were deployed and they had been collected at Idi Cut's Fish Auction Place (TPI).

"Currently, the immigrants have been evacuated to the Idi Sport Center (ISC) Idi Rayeuk, East Aceh Regency, to wait for follow-up on the results of coordination with UNHCR for relocation," said Iskandar.

The wave of arrivals of Rohingya immigrants to Aceh Province has been repeated since November 2023. Prior to East Aceh, hundreds of Rohingya immigrants landed in Sabang City, Aceh Regency, and Pidie Regency.

Until now, Rohingya immigrants who landed in Aceh Province were recorded at 1,734 people. They are currently accommodated in a number of locations in the western tip province of Indonesia.