JAKARTA (June 23, 2021) – The Ministry of Social Affairs through the Social Rehabilitation Center is ready to provide assistance for Troubled Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMIB) from Malaysia who experience problems or obstacles during the repatriation process to their area of ​​origin.

 

This was conveyed by the Director General of Social Rehabilitation of the Ministry of Social Affairs Harry Hikmat at a coordination meeting regarding the plan to repatriate PMIB from Malaysia which was attended by the heads of the Social Rehabilitation Center online within the Directorate General of Social Rehabilitation.

 

PMIB repatriation from Malaysia will begin on June 24, 2021, for the first phase, and June 27, 2021, for the second phase. They will be flown directly from Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur Airport to Tangerang's Soekarno Hatta Airport. They will then undergo a 5-day quarantine period at the Kemayoran Athlete's Wisma Pademangan, Jakarta before being sent back to their hometown.

 

Regarding the repatriation of PMIBs, Harry Hikmat stated that the Ministry of Social Affairs has a mandate to return home in the context of social rehabilitation and social reintegration of PMIBs. The Ministry of Social Affairs has continuously participated in the coordination meetings coordinated by the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture.

 

The coordination meeting was held to ensure that the Indonesian government really prepared everything related to the repatriation of PMIB including various anticipatory steps, considering that Malaysia was experiencing a peak in COVID-19 cases and there was a total lockdown policy from the Malaysian government. Currently, there are approximately 7,200 PMIB deportees scattered throughout Malaysia's immigration detention centers.

 

The repatriation of the deportants will be carried out in stages so as not to accumulate at one point so that there is a diversification of the arrival points of the PMIBs. The initial stage of repatriation prioritized the deportees of vulnerable groups (ill, pregnant, elderly, disabled women and children) as many as 293 people.

 

Ministries/Institutions as part of the Task Force for the Handling of Victims of Trafficking in Persons/Institutions must be ready to support the arrangements for the return of PMIB from Malaysia. The Ministry of Social Affairs ensures the role of the Social Rehabilitation Center to be ready if it is used as a reference for PMIB transit points who experience problems or have problems returning to their area of ​​origin.

"The Ministry of Social Affairs has prepared PMIB transit posts at RPTC Bambu Apus, Mulya Jaya Social Rehabilitation Center at Pasar Rebo and Panasea Center in Bambu Apus which are possible as transit points if any PMIB encounters obstacles in repatriation," explained Harry Hikmat.

“The Center is now multifunctional, so it must be ready to serve the Troubled Indonesian Migrant Workers. 41 Social Rehabilitation Center must be ready if it is used as a reference as a transit point," said Harry Hikmat.

Following the direction of the Minister of Social Affairs, Tri Rismaharini, 41 Social Rehabilitation Centers should prepare independent isolation rooms for employees or beneficiaries who are positive for COVID-19 (OTG), and prepare separately transition rooms or places for PMIB.

According to Harry, the repatriation of PMIB is the responsibility of the regional government. However, often they are not ready for that. The Ministry of Social Affairs will encourage regional governments to be ready and responsible for returning PMIBs to their respective families.

The role of the Social Rehabilitation Center is to provide initial assistance to PMIBs who experience problems when returning to the regions and ensure that they can reach their families. The Social Rehabilitation Center is also expected to immediately coordinate with the local Manpower Office regarding the preparation of empowerment programs for PMIB in the area of ​​origin.

“The task of the Social Rehabilitation Center is to ensure with BP2MI that PMIB is immediately returned to the area of ​​origin. If the transit period from quarantine before repatriation only needs 1 day, then immediately sent them home," said Harry Hikmat.