The return of the 32 Indonesians to their country was welcomed by Deputy Foreign Minister Triyono Wibowo and several officials from the National Agency for Placement and Protection of Indonesian Workers of Indramayu, West Java Thursday.
The workers are employed by the close relatives of President Ben Ali and other Tunisian senior officials as housemaids.
According to the Deputy Minister, they were successfully evacuated to Indonesia.
Triyono said that the 32 workers were part of 74 Indonesians who after the political upheaval sought shelter at the Indonesian embassy in Tunis.
"At first the Embassy was not aware of their existence in Tunisia, but after the political upheaval, the Embassy staff members conducted a search and eventually found several Indonesians working with President Ben Ali`s relatives," Triyono said.
There are currently 120 Indonesians living in that country.
The repatriation is fully covered by the Indonesian government and facilitated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Triyono added that this is an example of the Indonesian government`s concern for its citizens abroad and also the task of Indonesian representative missions.
These 32 workers came from West Java, such as Indramayu 25, two from Tasikmalaya and Lampung, and three each from Sukabumi, Karawang and Sumedang.
The arrival of the migrant workers in Jakarta was marked by the signing of a letter of transfer for the 25 workers from Indramayu to the district`s manpower supplier agency.(*)
Editor: Ruslan Burhani
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
