"I ask them to be accompanied so they can remain strong, some were embarrassed because they took a loan to depart (to the country where they fell victim to human trafficking)," she said here on Friday.
According to the minister, at least 28 human trafficking survivors at the Bambu Apus Protection and Trauma Center in East Jakarta will return to their hometowns accompanied by social assistants.
The human trafficking victims are from several regions, including West Java, East Java, West Nusa Tenggara, and East Nusa Tenggara. They will also be accompanied by the heads of social centers from their respective regions to encourage them to go home.
"Some took a loan of Rp50 million. We will try to help solve this issue," Rismaharini said.
The assistance will continue until the survivors manage to escape extreme poverty by using the business capital provided by the ministry.
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Minister Rismaharini earlier conducted an assessment of the 28 trafficking victims from Tanjung Pinang, Riau Islands.
She said that most of the victims were young and came from different backgrounds, and one worked as a non-state teacher who received honorariums.
She asked social assistants to accompany the human trafficking survivors and monitor their progress to prevent them from getting tempted by offers or scams that may lead to their falling victim to trafficking again.
According to her, the victims were lured by job offers with large salaries posted on social media platforms.
Earlier, Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture, Muhadjir Effendy, said that human trafficking crimes are an iceberg phenomenon, with only a few cases coming to light.
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Translator: Devi R, Kenzu
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
Copyright © ANTARA 2023
