Their departure was thwarted by the West Java Migrant Worker Protection Service Center (BP3MI) of the Ministry for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (P2MI).
The workers came under the scanner for trying to leave for Middle Eastern countries without official documents.
“After we checked with Immigration, the 29 people were suspected of leaving for work in the Middle East without using a work visa,” the head of BP3MI West Java, Senior Commissioner Pol. Mulya, said in a press release issued in Jakarta on Saturday.
“They did not have an E-PMI Card registered with BP3MI West Java,” he added.
He said that he had received information from the immigration authorities about their alleged illegal departure. A joint examination confirmed the allegation, he added.
Of the total workers, 19 were from West Java and 10 were from areas outside the province, he informed.
According to Mulya, the workers will be taken to the West Java BP3MI office for registration and further questioning, including to trace the company that sent them.
“The next step, we will bring them to the West Java BP3MI office for registration and further investigation,” he said.
In response, Minister of P2MI, Abdul Kadir Karding, emphasized the government’s commitment to preventing the illegal departure of migrant workers.
He reminded that those who leave to work overseas without going through official channels are highly vulnerable to exploitation and human trafficking (TPPO).
“If you work to go abroad unprocedurally like this, without a work contract, it means you can be manipulated, and later you can even be sold,” Karding warned.
Translator: Asri Mayang Sari
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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