The ministry, in collaboration with the health office, conducted rapid tests on the migrant workers deported by Malaysia, in accordance with the health protocol for stemming the spread of COVID-19 infections, chief of the Subdirectorate of Human Trafficking Victims, Dian Bulan Sari, said in a written statement released on Thursday.
The workers tested negative for COVID-19 after undergoing rapid tests on April 13, 2020, she informed.
The migrant workers were taken to the Soekarno-Hatta Airport, from where they were flown to their hometowns, according to the statement.
The workers were flown home in two batches. The first batch left the airport at 00.15 a.m. and comprised 27 workers headed to Surabaya, 13 to Lombok, and one to East Nusa Tenggara. The second batch left at 7 a.m. and comprised 11 workers headed to Surabaya.
The returning migrant workers were asked to comply with regulations, including wearing masks and implementing physical distancing, while on their way home, she said.
The ministry also gave Rp250 thousand in cash to each of the returning migrant workers. (INE)
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Translator: Desi Purnamawati/Suharto
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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