BP2MI Warns Placement Agencies Against Overcharging Migrant Workers
Translator
Antara
Editor
Petir Garda Bhwana
Selasa, 16 Januari 2024 08:30 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Migrant Workers' Protection Agency (BP2MI) gave a strong warning to the Indonesian Migrant Workers Placement Agencies (P3MI) that are still overcharging Indonesian migrant workers to work abroad.
"We will never play around with you all. If you return the money you charged to the migrant workers, then you are safe," BP2MI head Benny Rhamdani stated at a press conference at the BP2MI Office on Monday.
He further noted that if the agencies do not return the money, the BP2MI will press for a legal process, including recommending the revocation of the permit against those agencies to the Ministry of Manpower.
Rhamdani explained that his agency does not have the authority to revoke the permits of problematic P3MI.
"If the authority to revoke permits were in our hands, I guarantee that we would have revoked the permits of half of more than 300 P3MI. (It is) because many P3MI are also unfit to operate as placement agencies," he remarked.
Rhamdani spoke about his agency having received 113 complaints regarding alleged overcharging of placement fees on Indonesian migrant workers in Hong Kong that involved 30 P3MI during the period from December 2022 to December 2023.
To this end, Rhamdani said that his agency had sought clarifications from the president directors of those involved P3MI.
In addition, the BP2MI has conducted mediation between the P3MI and those who filed complaints to clarify the costs borne by employers in the placement of Indonesian migrant workers.
"Through the BP2MI handling, of the 113 complaints, there are 70 complaints with the completed status and 43 complaints that are still in the process," he remarked.
Benny stated that his agency had attempted to return the Indonesian migrant workers' money, amounting to Rp697,485,205 (around US$44,818). For this reason, he thanked P3MI for committing to returning the entire amount of money to the migrant workers.
