Ministry of Social Affairs Received the Repatriation of Indonesian M KPO from Malaysia in Pontianak

JAKARTA (March 6th 2020) - Director of Social Rehabilitation for Social Tuna and Human Trafficking Victims of the Indonesian Ministry of Social Affairs Waskito Budi Kusuma accompanied by West Kalimantan Provincial Head of Social Service Agency Yuline Marhaeni, representatives of BP3TKI and the Indonesian Ministry of Manpower, received the arrival of 105 Indonesian Citizens Migrant Victims of Human Trafficking (WNI M KPO ) from the Bekenu Immigration Depot a referral from the Indonesian Consulate General Kuching Malaysia at the Pontianak Social Protection House (Thursday, March 5th 2020 at 21.00 WIB).

These KPO Indonesian citizens are workers with problems including undocumented, unprocedural and overstayed so that they are deported by the State where they work, consisting of 85 men and 20 women who work in the plantation and household sectors.

Waskito appealed to Indonesian citizens not to leave unprocedurally, and that they should look for work only in Indonesian territory so that they are closer to their families.

According to Waskito, before they were sent home, they received services at the safe house, including providing clothing, toiletries, supplies for women and children.

"If they come from the West Kalimantan region within 2-3 days, they will be returned to their area of ​​origin," said Waskito. Meanwhile, those from outside West Kalimantan will be sent home according to the schedule of the ships that will transport them to their places of origin, explained Wakito.

"For information, the Ministry of Social Affairs has made an MOU with PELNI and DAMRI to return them to their places of origin," said Waskito.

Waskito also said that the corona virus outbreak (COVID-19) is currently a world concern, so there needs to be vigilance in implementing the repatriation of these Indonesian M KPO citizens.

In implementing the repatriation of Indonesian citizens, M KPO from Malaysia coordinated with the ministries that are members of the repatriation task force, one of which is the ministry of health, said Wakito.

Like today's return when they entered the Entikong border, the Indonesian KPO M citizens underwent health checks including a corona virus scan carried out by the Entikong Health Office and when they entered the Safe House they were checked again by the West Kalimantan Provincial medical team, explained Waskito.

Furthermore, Waskito explained Permenko PMK No.3 of 2016 concerning the Roadmap for the Return and Empowerment of Indonesian Workers with problems, and indicated that repatriation in this case was carried out by the Ministry of Social Affairs and BNP2TKI. Based on the Minister of Social Affairs Regulation No. 30 of 2017 concerning the repatriation of Migrant Nationals of Human Trafficking from Malaysia to their Regions of Origin.

The Minister of Social Affairs Regulation states that the purpose of returning Indonesian KPO citizens is to return them to their areas of origin and reunite with their families, communities and social environment, explained Waskito.

On that occasion, Head of Sub Directorate of Social Rehabilitation for Victims of Violence and Human Trafficking, Dian Bulan Sari said that the Ministry of Social Affairs repatriated Indonesian KPO citizens through 2 debarkation points, namely Tanjung Pinang and Pontianak.

The Ministry of Social Affairs' Safe House in Tanjung Pinang serves referrals from the Indonesian Consulate General in Johor Bahru as well as for the Pontianak Protection House serving referrals from the Indonesian Consulate General in Kuching Malaysia, said Dian.

In 2019 the Ministry of Social Affairs has repatriated 7,175 Indonesian KPO citizens to their area of ​​origin, which is a reference for the Indonesian Consul General in Johor Bahru and the Indonesian Consul General for Kuching, said Dian.

The Indonesian citizens who were sent home this time mostly came from West Kalimantan, Java, East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara and Sulawesi. In the last 3 days, around 200 people have been repatriated from Kuching Malaysia through the Entikong border, added Dian.