"Hundreds of the deported migrant workers were already vaccinated in Malaysia and have the results of the PCR test," Head of the Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Board (BP2MI) of the Nunukan branch Adjunct Senior Commissioner F. J. Ginting stated here on Saturday.
Ginting noted that the migrant workers arrived at the Tunon Taka Port in Nunukan District on Friday (Dec 10) at around 5:15 p.m. local time.
Upon arrival at the port, the workers were taken by the immigration officer and local police for examination of health documents and swab test by the Port Health Office (KKP).
Ginting explained that the health checks were conducted stringently to prevent the entry of the new omicron variant of COVID-19 that had been detected in Malaysia.
The deportees comprise 44 women, 177 men, and eight children, out of which 87 came from East Nusa Tenggara and 37 from South Sulawesi, while the rest came from West Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi and the islands of Sumatra and Java.
As many as 127 workers were deported for not being able to present a working permit, 61 were arrested for drug-related crimes, two for murder, and other crimes.
The workers were temporarily accommodated in Rusunawa for five days before being sent back to their respective villages, Ginting stated.
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Translator: Rusman, Sri Haryati
Editor: Suharto
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