TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi together with the Law and Human Rights Minister Yassona Laoly traveled to West Kalimantan today, Nov. 21, to observe Indonesian citizens living in the Malaysian border.

Both ministers directly supervised the service and protection towards the Indonesian citizens that live at the Entikong cross-border post, the main gateway for Indonesians crossing to Sarawak, Malaysia, and Brunei Darussalam.

Read: Malaysia to Raid Undocumented Indonesian Migrant Workers

“The State must be present in borders that act as the last gateway for Indonesians to safely migrate,” said Minister Retno to state employees in the border post on November 21.

Based on records collected by the Foreign Affairs Ministry, there are roughly 700-800 Indonesians that frequently pass the Entikong-Tebedu route each day. On average, 2,000 undocumented Indonesians get deported annually from Sarawak through this route.

According to Malaysian immigration, there are currently 155,000 Indonesian that make a living in the Sarawak area, which makes up 95 percent of the total amount of foreign workers in Sarawak. It is predicted that there are at least 20,000 undocumented Indonesian workers (TKI).

The Foreign Affairs Ministry records also suggest that the West Kalimantan – Sarawak border has been used as a human trafficking route from Indonesia to the Middle East.

YON YOSEPH