Migrant Worker Still Sent to Mid-East Illegally due to HighDemand
5 June 2017 10:04 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The National Agency for Placement and Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (BNP2TKI) Hermono said that migrant workers are still being sent abroad illegally due to high demand. The government had earlier issued a moratorium on sending workers to the Middle East but demand remains high.
“Most are non-procedural [migrant workers] sent to the Middle East. They prefer Indonesians,” Hermono said in Jakarta yesterday. According to him, the high demand for Indonesian migrant workers is due to similarities in culture and religion.
Hermono said 52 regions have regularly sent migrant workers abroad. Cities in Java still dominate the list, including Indramayu, Pati and regions in East Java. The next on the list is West Nusa Tenggara.
He went on to say that syndicates seek prospective migrant workers to be sent abroad particularly in the holy month of Ramadan. Hermono said that the recruiters could get Rp50 million per person for successfully sending workers abroad. “They are will do whatever it takes,” he said.
Director General of Immigration, the Justice and Human Rights Ministry, Ronny Sompie explained that the common modus operandi is vacation or Umrah to get travel documents such as passports.
According to him, migrant workers are able to go abroad illegally because some travel agencies or migrant workers placement companies are not following established procedures. “They do not cooperate with the government in preventive measures,” Ronny said.
The Manpower and Transmigration Ministry has so far frozen the business permits of 56 migrant workers agencies for alleged illegal activities. The Ministry official Soes Hindharno said that he will continue to monitor companies allegedly sending migrant workers to the Middle East. “We are currently keeping an eye on three companies,” Soes said.
ADITYA BUDIMAN