Aang Witarsa Rofik, director of National Vigilance at the Home Affairs Ministry, said refugee handling could no longer rely on reactive measures as regional displacement pressures continue to grow.
“In the past it may have been sufficient, but going forward we need serious mitigation,” Aang told a coordination meeting of the foreign refugee task force in Batam.
He said Indonesia is currently hosting about 12,060 displaced people, comprising 7,377 refugees and 4,683 asylum seekers, adding that the Rohingya issue remains a major concern in several regions.
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Aang said 2026 would be a critical year, with key agendas including the designation of temporary shelter sites, funding schemes for refugees’ living costs and clearer rules for self-reliant refugees, including limits on employment.
The policy direction aligns with plans to revise Presidential Regulation No. 125 of 2016 on the handling of foreign refugees.
“Indonesia is a transit country, not a destination. But how long that transit lasts is what needs to be reorganized,” he said.
Aang said national security would remain a priority, alongside efforts to prevent friction with local communities through education and public outreach.
“Although Indonesia has not ratified the UN Refugee Convention, humanitarian principles must still come first,” he said, adding that pilot assessments would be conducted at several sites in Batam to support decisions on temporary shelter locations.
Batam City Secretary Firmansyah said the island serves as a transit point before refugees move on to their final destination countries.
“At present, refugees in Batam are housed at Hotel Kolekta in Sekupang, managed jointly by the International Organization for Migration and local immigration authorities,” he said.
According to city data, Batam hosts 359 refugees from Sudan, Afghanistan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Iraq, Palestine and Pakistan, with no Rohingya refugees recorded.
Firmansyah said 173 refugees have lived in Batam for eight to 10 years, while 144 others have stayed for more than a decade, and 67 refugee children are enrolled in formal education in the city.
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Translator: Amandine, Kenzu
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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