Indonesia is stepping up efforts to safeguard its migrant workers through a stronger alliance between the Ministry of Migrant Worker Protection and the Coordinating Ministry for Community Empowerment.
During a meeting at the Coordinating Ministry for Community Empowerment office in Jakarta on Friday, Migrant Worker Protection Minister Mukhtarudin and Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment Muhaimin Iskandar agreed to intensify collaboration to strengthen regulations, curb illegal placements, and expand vocational training for overseas workers.
“This is a massive task that cannot be handled alone. As a newly established ministry, the Ministry of Migrant Worker Protection needs strong collaboration with the Coordinating Ministry for Community Empowerment and other ministries and agencies to ensure protection and placement of migrant workers are stronger, more integrated, and truly impactful for our workers,” Mukhtarudin said in an official statement.
Indonesia has set an ambitious target to place 425,000 migrant workers abroad in 2025, representing a 45 percent increase from the 295,000 placements recorded in 2024.
Hong Kong remained the top destination in 2024, absorbing 99,168 Indonesian workers, followed by Taiwan with 84,306. Japan and Singapore ranked fourth and fifth, with 12,653 and 10,781 placements respectively.
The government, however, stressed that the target must remain aligned with global economic realities to ensure safe and sustainable deployment.
Migrant workers continue to play a vital role in Indonesia’s economy, contributing significantly through remittances while also facing ongoing challenges related to protection and illegal placements.
“We continue to pursue safe and dignified placements. At minimum, the 2025 achievement should exceed the 2024 realization of 295,000 workers. Even though the target is ambitious, we can still maintain a positive growth trend,” he explained.
Indonesia is set to expand opportunities for its migrant workers, with over 1.63 million overseas job orders projected for 2025.
According to data from the Indonesian Migrant Worker Recruitment Permit (SIP2MI) as of July 27, 2025, there are 390,268 job openings across 34 countries, covering 420 job types in 17 sectors.
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Translator: Katriana, Martha Herlinawati Simanjuntak
Editor: Arie Novarina
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