The Indonesian government is considering a mass repatriation of 1.8 million of its citizens believed to be working illegally in several countries, most of whom are currently in Malaysia.
Nusron Wahid, head of the Agency for the Placement and Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (BNP2TKI) said several of the republic’s ministries will be roped into facilitating the exercise.
“There will be a discussion on bringing back 1.8 million illegal migrant workers who do not have a work contract, and we will use the state budget to do it,” he said, as reported by The Jakarta Globe.
Nusron related that there are 6.2 million Indonesians working abroad, 4.4 million of whom are documented workers. The remaining 1.8 million Indonesians are working abroad illegally.
Of that number, a staggering 1.2 million Indonesians are thought to be in Malaysia, working primarily in the construction and plantation industries.
The remaining 600,000 illegal Indoesian workers are thought to be spread out across the Middle East, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Despite Nusron’s estimate of 1.2 million Indonesians being in Malaysia without proper documentation, the inspector-general for protection and legal aid for Indonesian citizens at the Foreign Ministry, Tatang Razak, said only 300,000 of them were at risk of being deported by the Malaysian government.
Putrajaya has set December 31 as the deadline for illegal foreign workers to leave Malaysia, and the Home Ministry has proposed that those arrested for bringing in uncodumented workers after the deadline should be caned, as should any Immigration Department personnel and found to be complicit in such activities.
The Indonesian government is concerned that such penalties would also be meted out to its citizens apprehended in Malaysia.
“The Malaysian authorities should also take action against the users rather than just punish and deport the workers,” Tatang said.
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