TEMPO.CO, W. Lombok - The number of Indonesians becoming victims of human trafficking has shown an upward trend in the past few years, the foreign ministry has said.
"The number of victims that the foreign ministry handled increased to 425 in 2014 from 328 in 2013. The figure reached 296 in 2015 and 475 in the year to November 2016," Director of Indonesian Citizens and Legal Entities Protection of the Foreign Ministry Lalu Muhammad Iqbal said on Tuesday.
Poor domestic rules are behind the increase, he said.
"This must become the center of attention for all of us so it will not be merely the task of the foreign ministry," he said.
The victims were mostly women who were employed abroad as domestic helpers, without going through the formal procedures, as well as crew members of fishing vessels, he said.
This indicates a serious problem in managing the placement and protection of Indonesian migrant workers in the two sectors.
The number of Indonesian victims may run into thousands, he said, and added that some of them did not report it.
ANTARA
