Agung said at the meeting the President agreed if the government repatriated the Indonesian citizens who had overstayed in Saudi Arabia in stages.
"They must go home, although in stages, because it would be impossible for the Saudi government to repatriate all the Indonesians because of the limited quota," Agung said.
He said the Indonesian government has prepared some Rp120 billion for the repatriation of the overstayed Indonesians in Saudi Arabia.
"The Rp120 billion will be used as living cost of the Indonesians at temporary camps before leaving for home, and also for cost of regular flights, and other necessaries," he said.
Agung also said that he will coordinate with the religious ministry in connection with the repatriation by using the haj season.
"During the haj season, normally the aircraft flying the haj pilgrims to Saudi Saudi are rather loose when returning to Indonesia, which we can use to fly the overstayed Indonesians home," he said.
He said that up to January 2011 some 1,922 overstayed Indonesians in Saudi Arabia had returned to Indonesia.
The coordinating minister also said that the problem of Indonesian migrant workers in Saudi Arabia is now being handled by the task force whose members came from various ministries and government institutions.
For that purpose, he said the government will not allow the overstayed Indonesians to remain in Saudi Arabia.(*)
Editor: Ruslan Burhani
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
