TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - At least twelve Indonesian migrants workers (TKI) have reportedly been trapped in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, according to the Agency for the Placement and Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (BNP2TKI).
The migrant workers have been working in the area long before the Israeli's military strike on Gaza, the agency reported.
The identity of the TKIs has been revealed and they are now being evacuated.
"There are 12 TKIs [trapped in Gaza] and it is difficult to evacuate them," said BNP2TKI Chairman Gatot Abdullah Mansyur yesterday during a meeting with the families of the TKI in Malang, East Java.
The government found difficulties evacuating the TKIs following the closure of access to Palestine.
The only way to enter the region is through Egypt; however, the evacuation process must be done through the Egypt local authority so that the Indonesian government could receive assistance and security from the Egypt intelligence, said Gatot.
Once the TKIs have been evacuated, they will be immediately repatriated.
Besides in Palestine, a number of the TKIs have also been trapped in several conflict-torn regions such as Syria. At least 2,500 people are currently working in the country and around 10,000 have been returned to Indonesia in the past two years. Around 200 TKIs in Lebanon have also been returned home.
In the meantime, there are approximately 286 TKIs who are now in the death row in several countries. They include 48 TKIs to be hanged in several Middle East countries and 126 other in Malaysia.
The TKIs in Malaysia are facing the punishment after being convicted in drug cases. Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur has been trying to provide legal assistance for them.
EKO WIDIANTO
