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Retno Marsudi: We don't want to create a pull factor  

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19 October 2018 14:58 WIB

Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi. Image: TEMPO/Imam Sukamto

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Last week, North Aceh was swamped with more than 1,000 boat people, comprising mostly Rohingyas from Myanmar and some Bangladeshis. Is this the onset of a humanitarian crisis? How will Indonesia handle this new wave of refugees? Minister Marsudi responded to Tempo's questions by email. Excerpts:

What is Indonesia's policy on the recent asylum seekers from Myanmar and Bangladesh?

At last count, around 12,000 asylum seekers live in Indonesia. Other countries encounter the same problem. So this is a transnational problem, and we believe there is no single country that can handle this problem alone. Indonesia is party to the two protocols on the smuggling of migrants and trafficking in persons under the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC). In 2002, Indonesia and Australia initiated a regional cooperation mechanism to deal with [this problem] through the Bali Process, in which 48 countries participated, including nations of origin, transit and destination areas from the Asia-Pacific region and three international organizations, the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC). To deal with the irregular movements of illegal migrants, Indonesia implements a policy based on the principles of burden-sharing and shared responsibility, involving source, transit and destination countries.

Why have the recent boat people been pushed away?

More than 500 illegal immigrants from Rohingya and Bangladesh were stranded last week at Lhoksukon, North Aceh. The Indonesian government, in coordination with relevant ministries (the Foreign Ministry, the Immigration Office, the Navy, the Police and the Aceh government) and in collaboration with UNHCR and IOM, has taken prompt measures to handle [the crisis]. Based on humanitarian principles, we have immediately taken care of them by providing shelter, food, medicine, water supply and other necessities. This recent case in Aceh highlights the complexity of irregular migration. We need to sit together with the source, transit and destination countries, together with the IOM, UNHCR on how to handle this difficult situation. Our facilities are already overcrowded and overpopulated but Indonesia has fulfilled its obligation under the existing international laws.

But many of these 'illegal immigrants' end up in immigration detention centers.

According to the latest UNHCR figures, there are now 11,715 such people, consisting of 4,000 holding refugee status and 7,315 asylum seekers. They are being taken care of in 13 immigration detention centers and 50 community homes located all over the country. Those who have no proper identification, are regarded as violating immigration laws and are held at our immigration centers while awaiting the processing of their status by the UNHCR and IOM. In other words, placing those 'illegal immigrants' in immigration custody is legal. Indonesia hopes for their speedy resettlement and we are concerned that some third countries have decided to stop accepting refugees or reduce their quota. This is clearly against the principle of burden sharing and sharing responsibility. Indonesia is in the final stage of issuing a Presidential Decree on Refugee and Asylum Seekers as the legal basis to deal with this complex issue of irregular migrants. With this regulation, the relevant government agencies, both at the center and local level, would be able to allocate the required funding and personnel, to deal with the economic and social consequences.

Do you think a Galang Island solution of 1979 is applicable to the migration problem today?

Although we managed the Indochinese refugee problem successfully at Galang Island many years ago, Indonesia spent a lot of resources and it took more than 15 years to resettle them in third countries. Indonesia is carefully studying all possibilities, including the negative and positive aspects, before any decision-making. We do not want to create a pull factor.

Why hasn't Indonesia ratified the 1951 Vienna Convention on Refugee Status and its 1967 Protocol?

Thorough consideration was taken before deciding. Indonesia wants to ensure it will not fail to meet its responsibilities before becoming a contracting party to the Convention. (*)

Read the full interview in this week's edition of Tempo English Magazine



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