Speaking in Tangerang, Banten Province,Tawalla underlined the government's genuine care for all Indonesian citizens as shown by picking up the arriving migrant workers that the authorities of Saudi Arabia deported for having allegedly violated immigration rules.
Tawalla, however, expressed regret over the recurrence of such a deportation case, attributing it to the lack of reliable information on immigration regulations and overseas work placement the migrant workers received.
According to the deputy minister, many Indonesian citizens have persistently attempted to work in 19 Middle Eastern countries, trying to circumvent the Indonesian Government's moratorium on migrant worker placement imposed on those countries.
"We hope that this kind of case will not recur in the future," he remarked.
Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Ministry's Director OF Indonesian Citizens Protection Yudha Nugraha highlighted that most of the 211 Indonesian migrant workers had been expelled from Saudi Arabia for lacking the required documents and overstaying.
"Some of them were held at the Shumaisi immigration detention center in Saudi Arabia," he pointed out.
To tackle this issue, Nugraha emphasized the need for the state to do its utmost to protect their citizens, including by providing them with comprehensive information on the risks of working abroad.
The official highlighted the importance of the government and public complying with Law No. 18 of 2017 on the protection of Indonesian migrant workers.
"Once arriving in your country of destination, you must abide by its prevailing regulations, including those related to immigration," he addressed the public.
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Translator: Azmi S, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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