"The problems faced by Indonesian migrant workers, be it violence or exploitation, even human trafficking, are (due to) the illegal departure of migrant workers," he said at a press conference.
According to the minister, the number of workers migrating overseas legally has reached 5.3 million to date. Meanwhile, the number of workers leaving illegally reached 4.3 million in 2017, as per a World Bank survey.
According to his ministry, 90–95 percent of workers who face problems overseas are those who migrated illegally.
The second problem is their ability to work or skills, with nearly 80 percent of migrant workers having previously worked as domestic workers.
"And of the 80 percent, 70 percent are women, and the average education is elementary and junior high school. We can only imagine the potential for violence to occur," Karding said.
The third problem is the language barrier, and the fourth is mindset, he added.
According to the minister, there are quite a few migrant workers who have just moved abroad and wish to return to their homeland.
He said that the ministry has taken several steps to prevent a continued increase in non-procedural departures.
First, the ministry is paying more attention to regions with the largest proportion of migrant workers, namely East Java, West Java, Central Java, West Nusa Tenggara, Lampung, and Medan, North Sumatra.
Second, it is undertaking socialization efforts to encourage prospective migrant workers to depart legally, he informed. Third, it is maximizing prevention and protection through a rapid response team, he added.
"Fourth, we will also collaborate, including through this desk, to handle issues related to the quality of our protection," Karding said.
The migrant worker protection coordination desk was initiated by Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs, Budi Gunawan, to improve the protection of Indonesian migrant workers.
The desk is chaired by the Ministry of Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers and involves the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Immigration and Corrections, Criminal Investigation Unit of the National Police, Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI), and Attorney General's Office.
Related news: PPMI Ministry determined to protect Indonesians working abroad
Related news: RI Govt forges collaboration to boost migrant worker protection
Translator: Kuntum Khaira, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Primayanti
Copyright © ANTARA 2025
