TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian government, through the Embassy in Dakar, managed to repatriate 7 Indonesian crews of a sinking fishing vessel in Senegalese waters. They arrived at Soekarno Hatta International Airport on Monday, 23 August, as stated on the Foreign Affairs Ministry website on Tuesday, August 24.

The Spanish flag fishing boat, Brika, sank on August 4, 2021, due to a leakage on a part of the ship. There were in total 25 ship crews including 7 Indonesian crews. The Indonesian ship crews were then taken to the Indonesian Embassy in Dakar.

“We are grateful and very grateful to the Indonesian Embassy in Dakar and the staffs who have accommodated us well in Dakar and facilitated our return to our homeland,” said Murtani, one of the crew members of the Brika ship.

Before returning to Indonesia, the crews had their documents checked as well as getting tested for Covid-19.

According to the data from the Minister of Manpower, the total repatriation of Indonesian migrant workers (PMI) in 2021 had decreased compared to 2020. This was stated by The Minister of Manpower, Ida Fauziah, at the meeting with the House's Commission IX on Tuesday, August 24, 2021.

"The number of repatriation of PMI from 2020 has seen a reduction in the number of migrants who are sick, dead, problematic, and Indonesian ship crews (ABK), or mixed, as well as members of the PMI family," Minister Ida remarked.

Read: Indonesian Embassy in Seoul Repatriates 14 Crewmen of Long Xin 629 Vessel

Maudey K. Setyakusuma