TEMPO.CO, Malang – The number Indonesian migrant workers (TKI) working in conflict-ridden countries is estimated to reach around ten thousand people—most of them working in Middle East countries. The government is currently trying to evacuate all of them to Indonesia.

Agency for the Placement and Protection of Indonesian Workers (BNP2TKI) chief Gatot Abdullah Mansyur said Indonesian diplomatic representative office, embassy and consulate general have collected data of Indonesian workers in the Middle East.

“The data has been compiled. Repatriation is difficult because many workers are trapped in conflict areas. Evacuating them is not easy, but we keep trying,” said Gatot on Sunday.

Gatot said there were some 2,500 TKIs in Syria while a dozen others were trapped in the Gaza Strip. He added the Indonesian government was encountering obstacles to evacuate them, including dangerous conflict zones and securing flights and land transports to nearest safe countries and the required coordination with local security authorities in the conflict-torn countries.

Gatot said an example of this was that a task force formed by the Manpower and Transmigration Ministry was still attempting to evacuate some 200 TKIs from Syria to bordering areas in Egypt and Lebanon under the supervision of the Egyptian intelligence authorities. According to Gatot, the government was also still identifying TKIs in the Gaza strip for immediate evacuation.

“Let’s pray that the crash of Malaysia Airlines MH17 doesn’t spark more fear among TKIs,” said Gatot.

ABDI PURMONO