TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Manpower Ministry officially issued a new regulation regarding the placement of migrant workers in foreign countries during the adaptation period of the new normal era. Previously, the government limited placements of migrant workers due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The regulation is noted in the Decree of the Director General for the Development of Manpower Placement and Expansion of Employment Opportunities No. 3/111/PK.02.01/IV/2022. Based on the new policy, Indonesia could send migrant workers to 65 countries.

“This decision was taken after the Manpower Ministry took into account the inputs of Indonesian representatives in the country of placement and several parties. We can ensure the safety and protection of our migrant workers during the adaptation period of this new normal era,” said Director-General for the Development of Manpower Placement and Expansion of Job Opportunities, Suhartono, on Tuesday, April 19..

The 65 countries include Albania, South Africa, Algeria, United States of America, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria and Denmark. Then, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guyana, Hungary, Hong Kong, England, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Germany, New Caledonia, Canada, Kenya, Solomon Islands, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Kuwait, Lebanon, Liberia, Maldives, and Malaysia.

The rest are Morocco, Egypt, Namibia, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Papua New Guinea (PNG), United Arab Emirates (UAE), Poland, France, Qatar, Congo, China, Malta, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Serbia, Slovakia, Singapore, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Jordan, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Suhartono explained that migrant worker placement could be carried out in various schemes, viz. private to private (P to P) by the Indonesian migrant worker placement firms (P3MI), individual scheme, or G to G (government to government) scheme carried out by the Agency for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (BP2MI).

Suhartono thus asked Indonesian representatives in the 65 countries to immediately coordinate with local authorities to ensure the availability of labor market information.

Read: Repatriated Migrant Workers Urged to Follow Quarantine Rules

FRANCISCA CHRISTY ROSANA