Aryani made the remarks after visiting Nunukan, North Kalimantan, on Tuesday to inspect several illegal routes commonly used by migrant workers to go to Sabah, Malaysia, according to an official statement issued by the ministry here on Wednesday.
She stressed that her ministry is continuing to seek solutions to the problem of illegal worker migration, including warning the public about the risks of going abroad without official documentation.
Those caught working illegally in another country can face raids, detention, and deportation.
Earlier, it was reported that 127 Indonesian migrant workers were deported from Sabah, Malaysia, for entering the country illegally, overstaying, or their involvement in drug and other criminal cases.
The workers hail from several Indonesian provinces, mostly North Kalimantan and South Sulawesi.
The deputy minister said the deportation case was a challenge, not only for the P2MI Ministry, but also for local governments, especially those bordering Malaysia.
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"Therefore, we continue to collaborate with (several) regional governments," she informed.
She further said that the ministry is ready to help jobseekers who wish to work abroad by taking the procedural route.
It will involve local governments, including village governments, and migrant worker placement companies in such efforts, she added.
She highlighted that village governments have the most important role since they are at the forefront of efforts to prevent the illegal departure of migrant workers.
"They know which citizens want to go abroad. Therefore, prevention campaigns need to be socialized to them," she explained.
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Reporter: Katriana
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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