JAKARTA (20 July 2023) - The rise of cases of trafficking in persons has forced the government to take various synergistic steps in taking action against perpetrators and handling the victims.


In eradicating the practice of the Criminal Act of Trafficking in Persons (TPPO), the steps taken not only ensnare the perpetrators with punishment, but the government also focused on handling the victims.


The Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA) is one of the ministries involved in handling human trafficking victims in collaboration with the National Police and other ministries/agencies.


"MoSA has an authority and responsibility in terms of handling the process of social rehabilitation and social empowerment as a result of the criminal act of trafficking in persons," said Acting Secretary General of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Robben Rico.


At a press conference at Polda Metro Jaya, which was also attended by the Chief of Criminal Investigation Agency, Police Commissioner General Wahyu, Thursday (20/7), Robben said that his party had handled 618 human trafficking victims. This handling was carried out by 37 technical implementation units of the Ministry of Social Affairs throughout Indonesia.


"As of 20 July 2023, there have been 618 victims. Our task is repatriating them to their respective homes in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but we will temporarily accommodate them in our social rehabilitation centers," he added.


Based on the assessment, the background to the occurrence of trafficking in persons was due to economic problems and the conditions of poverty experienced. Therefore, MoSA provides social rehabilitation and social empowerment services for victims of trafficking in persons. 


In addition to repatriating, MoSA is also trying to solve some of the victims' problems. "We will complete their debt payments, then carry out an entrepreneurial empowerment process, because most of them are trapped in the lure of money, then sell their organs. Some are also caught in debt problems," said Robben.


MOSA then also helps with healthcare expenses to have the victims registered in the National Health Insurance program so that the victims get health care insurance.


Fulfillment of decent lives was also given to the victims, bearing in mind the condition of the victims who no longer had property because they had been sold to pay for their departure when they were caught in TPPO practices.


Moreover, several victims who owned uninhabitable houses were assessed and given housing rehabilitation assistance.


Provisions for vocational training are also provided so that the victims can become economically independent. This is to prevent them from being lured by large incomes by TPPO perpetrators.


Robben hopes that these various handling efforts can get them out of poverty and that they are no longer trapped in the practice of TPPO.


Based on data from the Ministry of Social Affairs, most of the victims came from NTT, NTB, East Java, West Java, Central Java and Central Sulawesi. These victims are in poverty and extreme poverty.