TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The government of Malaysia plans to deport 7,200 Indonesian nationals following the country's total lockdown policy caused by the surging number of Covid-19 cases.

The Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture's deputy of child, women, and youth quality improvement, Femmy Eka Kartika Putri, on Thursday's statement said that the deported Indonesians are mainly documented and undocumented migrant workers.

“Their return must be anticipated collectively. We must be very careful. This issue is not an easy one,” said Femmy in her statement.

The government, she explained, has prepared a number of locations for debarkation of the return of the Indonesians to prevent crowd buildup. Across these locations will also see healthcare facilities providing PCR tests and isolation facilities to ensure those returning home are free from Covid-19.

Vulnerable groups will be prioritized in the return which constitutes 300 out of the 7,200 Indonesians in Malaysia. Included in the classification are elderly people, pregnant mothers, and children, which will be transported home on June 24.

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FRISKI RIANA