Social Affairs Minister Risma Encourages Human Trafficking Survivor to Achieve Success in Their Own Country

JAKARTA (September 15, 2023) - For the umpteenth time, the Ministry of Social Affairs has taken concrete steps to provide protection and handling for former Indonesian migrant workers that have problems to return to their families.

Social Affairs Minister Tri Rismaharini visited Bambu Apus Protection and Trauma Center (RPTC) in East Jakarta to meet with 28 Human Trafficking Survivor who came from various regions in Indonesia.

The victims are currently undergoing an assessment process by the Ministry of Social Affairs centers to determine the most appropriate rehabilitation and assistance program for them.

After going through the social rehabilitation process, the survivors will be sent back to their home areas accompanied by the Ministry of Social Affairs' center team.

"We will continue to accompany them. The most important thing is to change their mindset that they can definitely live and they can survive. It because something big starts from small things," she added.

In addition to the rehabilitation process, the Ministry of Social Affairs through centers will also provide vocational training and empowerment for the survivors to make them more empowered until they do not want to return to other countries.

The Ministry of Social Affairs will also synergize with social assistants in the field to be able to monitor the development of these Human Trafficking Survivor.

In addition, the Minister also appealed to the Survivors not to be easily tempted by something luxurious with a high income in a foreign country.

"Let's not easily trust people because it is impossible for God not to provide a way even when we still have an ability to think and we have hands and feet," she added.

The Minister also reminded them that they must be willing to continue to try, learn, and find out what they can develop from the surrounding environment without having to go all the way to foreign countries.

"I give motivation not to give up, no matter how difficult it is. Indeed (what they are going through is) tough but it doesn’t mean we can’t handle it. It is the time for us to learn to become something big," said Social Affairs Minister Risma.

Not only that, the former mayor of Surabaya told one of the Surabaya residents who succeeded because she utilized water hyacinth behind her yard which could lead him to become a more successful person.

"From the water hyacinth behind her house, she now has 3 houses and send her children until university, all because of God does not sleep as long as we still continue to find out how to do it and learn," she said.

The survivors are former migrant workers in Malaysia who have problems with their residence documents abroad. They even received prison sentences before being repatriated to Indonesia.

Previously, the survivors were at RPTC Tanjung Pinang, Riau Islands. Now they are undergoing an assessment process by the Ministry of Social Affairs centers. They came from West Sumatra 1 person, Bengkulu 2 people, Lampung 1 person, West Java 2 people, East Java 12 people, NTB 6 people, NTT 2 people, West Sulawesi 2 people.

All services provided by the Ministry of Social Affairs are the government's efforts to help the Human Trafficking Survivors so that they can live their lives and be able to rise again to become stronger and more empowered in their own country.