Malaysia Deports 20,000 Indonesian Migrant Workers Every Year
19 October 2018 19:22 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Batam - The Head of the Agency for the Placement and Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (BNP2TKI) Gatot Abdullah Mansyur said every year, around 20,000 Indonesian migrant workers (TKI) are deported by the Malaysian government for not having complete documents.
"We must prevent TKIs from departing without complete documents and having problems abroad or being tortured by their employers," said Gatot Abdullah Mansyur at Batam International Seaport yesterday.
In the meantime, BNP2TKI has detained undocumented 500 TKIs who were about to depart to Malaysia to work.
"Working overseas does not only require passports, but also other documents such as working permits," Gatot added.
The BNP2TKI has also carried out raids to TKIs who are about to depart to Malaysia. Generally, they depart from Batam Center International seaport.
In Malaysia, there is an official seaport named Setulang Laut seaport, and two unofficial ones: Tanjung Pelungur and Tanjung Pengeling.
Gatot has also appealed to the Malaysian government to close the two unofficial seaports in Malaysia in order to close the gates for illegal TKIs from entering the country.
However, Gatot also believes that not all migrant workers go to Malaysia as the final destination because some would continue flying to the Middle East to work.
RUMBADI DALLE