Ministry of Social Affairs and Tearfund UK Submits The Cash Assistance

JAKARTA (11th June 2020) - The COVID-19 pandemic that hit various countries including Indonesia, one of which resulted in massive repatriation Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI) to Indonesia.

Currently at  Trauma Center Protection (RPTC) Bambu Apus there are 120 clients consisting of 25 crew members who are victims Criminal Act of Human-trafficking (TIP) of Chinese ships, and the rest are Indonesian citizens, M KPO / PMI, who are deportations from the State of Malaysia.

The PMIs are deported Indonesian citizens who come from several prisons in peninsular Malaysia. When the client arrived at the RPTC in good health, they were provided with a health certificate from the Malaysian Ministry of Health and had gone through the process of being examined when they got off the plane by the Soekarno - Hatta Airport KKP.

Waskito Budi Kusumo, Director of Social Rehabilitation for Persons with Social Deviance Issues and Human-Trafficking Victims (RTS & KPO) advises all PMI not to give up and remain grateful for the current conditions, also appealed for assistance through e-money that was given to be used or spent later after arriving at respective villages, said Budi.

The Ministry of Social Affairs collaborates with foreign partner organizations Tearfund UK and the Rebana Foundation as local partners of Tearfund UK in Indonesia, in order to provide social protection to Indonesian Citizens M KPO / Indonesian Migrant Workers with problems and victims of the Crime of Human Trafficking. On Thursday, June 11, 2020 at the Ministry of Social Affairs Trauma Center Shelter (RPTC), the cash assistance and hygiene kits from Tearfund were handed over to 86 problematic Indonesian M KPO / PMI who were deportations from Malaysia and victims of TIP.

Cash assistance provided in the form of electronic money via the Brizzi card is Rp. 600,000, - which they can disburse at Bank BRI and Indomaret when they return to their respective homes.

In addition, clients are also given hygiene kits in the form of masks, hand sanitizers and information brochures related to the prevention of COVID-19 transmission.

One of the PMI, Mubin, 22 years old from Batang, Central Java, worked in Malaysia for 2.5 years as a construction worker and was jailed for 1 year. "I am very happy to receive assistance and also got help that I could return to Indonesia in a healthy condition, indeed Indonesia cares for its people," he said.

The delivery of assistance has been carried out in 3 stages, where the first stage was given to 39 PMI people, the second stage was given to 23 crew members of TIP victims and in the third stage for today is 86 people consisting of 84 PMI and 2 ABK, so that the total RPTC clients who have been given cash assistance is 148 people. This cash assistance distribution was carried out after going through an initial assessment to the beneficiaries at RPTC Bambu Apus.

Permenko PMK No.3 of 2016 concerning the Roadmap for the Return and Empowerment of Indonesian Workers is problematic, indicating that repatriation in this case is carried out by the Ministry of Social Affairs and BP2MI.

Based on Permensos No. 30 of 2017 concerning the repatriation of Migrant Nationals of Trafficking in Persons from Malaysia to their Regions of Origin. The Minister of Social Affairs stated that the purpose of repatriating Indonesian M KPO citizens is to return them to their areas of origin and reunite with their families, communities and social environment.

The Ministry of Social Affairs repatriates Indonesian M KPO through 2 entry points, Tanjung Pinang and Pontianak. The Ministry of Social's Safe House in Tanjung Pinang serves referrals from the Indonesian Consulate General in Johor Bahru and for the Pontianak refuge serving referrals from the Indonesian Consulate General in Kuching Malaysia.

The Ministry of Social Affairs also has RPTC located in Bambu Apus, which has been dealing with victims of the Crime of Human Trafficking and Victims of Violence as well as Indonesian Citizens M KPO / Troubled Migrant Workers.