Indonesian Embassy Returns Migrant Workers Victims Of Violence In Libya

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Embassy in Tripoli managed to repatriate two Indonesian migrant workers (PMI) who were victims of physical violence by their employers in Libya.

The repatriation of the two PMIs was carried out through coordination between the Indonesian Embassy in Tripoli, the Libyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Libya Labor Agency.

The two migrant workers arrived in the country on Wednesday (28/6), according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, quoted by ANTARA.

Based on the chronology obtained by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two PMIs were initially promised to work in Istanbul.

However, they were instead placed in the Benghazi area 1,000 kilometers from the Libyan capital, Tripoli. They arrived in Libya in mid-2022.

The Indonesian Embassy in Tripoli only received a report on the case on June 14, and immediately contacted the PMI agents and the two PMIs on June 15.

The Indonesian Embassy also sent a diplomatic note and communicated with local officials.

The two migrant workers with the initials SM and J were dispatched abroad without going through the correct procedures and indicated being victims of the Crime of Trafficking in Persons (TPPO), said a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Friday, June 30.

During 2023, the Indonesian Embassy in Tripoli has repatriated seven PMIs who were involved in problems, including SM and J.

The case further emphasized the importance of strengthening preventive measures from the start, the statement said.