The Ministry for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers has directed its West Java office to provide skills and language training to prospective migrant workers.
The directive followed the West Java Migrant Workers Protection Service Center (BP3MI) and Bekasi City Metro Police’s successful effort to stop the illegal placement of 18 workers bound for Saudi Arabia.
"You will be registered and asked for information by the police. We urge you to speak openly so we can uncover the network (behind the illegal placement)," Minister Abdul Kadir Karding told the 18 workers, according to a statement issued on Friday.
He instructed West Java BP3MI to register the workers so they can participate in skills and language training programs, and be placed through officially licensed recruitment agencies.
"We will register those of you who still wish to work abroad. We’ll help you find job vacancies in Malaysia, Taiwan, or Brunei, and connect you with reliable companies through legal channels," he said.
The minister also spoke directly with the workers, who admitted they had been deceived by brokers who promised legal employment in Saudi Arabia.
"We were deceived," said one of the workers.
Karding asked, "You had no suspicion that you were being tricked?"
"No," another worker replied. "I asked if this was illegal. They said it was all procedural and guaranteed."
The minister emphasized that a clear sign of illegal placement is the lack of a formal employment contract.
"If you work abroad without going through legal procedures, and you don’t have a contract, that means you’re vulnerable to exploitation. You could even become a victim of trafficking," he warned.
"If you’re trafficked, you can be treated like a slave," he added.
The prospective migrant workers expressed their wish to find jobs overseas through official and legal means.
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Reporter: Katriana
Editor: Anton Santoso
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