The government is here to serve and protect, from (the time of their) departure to return
Kulon Progo, Yogyakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Agency (BP2MI) has established a help desk and immigration services for migrant workers at Yogyakarta International Airport (YIA).

Chief Secretary of BP2MI Rinardi affirmed that the help desk and immigration services are a form of the government's commitment to providing assistance to migrant workers from the time of their departure until their return.

"The government is here to serve and protect, from (the time of their) departure to return. When they are at their destination, they are still the state's responsibility," he said in Kulon Progo, Yogyakarta, on Thursday.

Yogyakarta International Airport is the seventh airport where the board has established such services, he added.

Rinardi said the government is committed to protecting its people.

He informed that from January 2020 to May 2023, the return of at least 95 thousand migrant workers was riddled with problems since the workers went overseas through unauthorized means.

"When they went overseas, they fell victim to human trafficking. Fact is that there are some 1900 dead migrant workers who were returned," he added.

Acting General Manager of Yogyakarta International Airport, Bambang Triyono, commended the board for their innovative initiative at the airport.

"This innovative service is a good and positive measure of paying attention to and respecting the migrant workers," he said.

PT AP I, the manager of the airport, is collaborating with many stakeholders to ensure that migrant workers get protection, he added.

"Migrant workers are foreign exchange heroes whose (safety) must be ensured, including at airports. The help desk and immigration services at YIA can facilitate better, faster services," he stated.

Assistant for Government and Public Welfare at Kulon Progo Regional Secretariat, Jazil Ambar Wa'an, expressed his gratitude for the board's measure to assist the migrant workers.

He said he expected the help desk to serve as a platform for migrant workers to share their experiences working overseas and seek solutions to relevant problems.

"I truly hope that this migrant workers booth, help desk, and immigration services at YIA can bring good and benefits, particularly for Indonesian migrant workers," Wa'an added.

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Translator: Sutarmi, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Sri Haryati
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