"The repatriated group consisted of 17 men, 13 women and two toddlers, hailing from Java, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) and East Nusa Tenggara (NTT)," said Febriana, a local social affairs official who deals with migrant workers` repatriation, here on Monday.
The workers had to be repatriated because some of them were not paid by their employers and the rest failed to extend the validity of their documents, she explained.
"They requested the Consulate General in Johor Bahru to send them home," Febriana stated.
She said the migrant workers would be sent back to Indonesia on a passenger ship owned by national shipping company PT Pelni.
"The ship will leave from Batam for Tanjung Priok harbour. After it reaches there, the migrants will be transported to their respective villages," Febriana added.
She noted that the Indonesian Consulate General in Johor Bahru had so far repatriated more than 100 migrant workers.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry repatriated 331 migrant workers from Syria and Jordan, all of whom arrived in Jakarta on Thursday.
"The repatriation of Indonesian migrants from these Middle Eastern countries could be sped up thanks to the efforts of foreign minister Marty Natalegawa during his meeting with his Jordanian counterpart in Amman in August 2012," foreign ministry stated.
(B003/INE/H-YH/KR-BSR)
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
