BANDUNG, unpas.ac.id – Financial transactions of Indonesian Migrant Workers (Tenaga Kerja Indonesia, TKI) are the second largest foreign exchange earner in Indonesia. The amount reached IDR 159.6 trillion.
Although often referred to as a foreign exchange figure, the management of TKI is considered not optimal, especially in terms of security.
This was stated by the Commander of the Pusdikter Brigadier General Drajad Brima Yoga, S.IP., M.H. who is also the former RI Security Attache in Riyadh in the FGD “Eksistensi TKI di Timur Tengah: Perspektif Keamanan dan Diplomasi” at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) Universitas Pasundan on Thursday, 18 August 2022.
“So far, the management of TKI has not been very good because it is still between companies, not government to government. That way, the government’s control over the security of migrant workers abroad is still lacking,” he said.
According to him, the securitization of migrant workers abroad should be a burden on the state to protect them. He gave an example, in 2017, there were female migrant workers who were deported from Turkey because they were suspected of being involved in the ISIS group. In addition, in 2019, there were hundreds of Indonesian migrant workers who became victims of human trafficking in Iraq.
“In the Middle East, if an Indonesian worker has a case, he/she will be processed and punished there. Unless the family forgives, the worker can be released. In certain cases, we also provide assistance, but they are not given the freedom because they have their own laws,” he said.
He considered that the diplomacy of migrant workers in the Middle East has not been smooth so far, even though the migrant worker sector in the Middle East is very large and requires assistance. Until now, efforts have been made by the government in dealing with TKI in the Middle East, including technical protection, such as the existence of shelters and counselling.
Legal protection, such as lawyers, legal assistance, as well as requests for amnesty and repatriation for TKI who overstay (or cannot be accommodated in their representative offices) are also sought.
“There are also political protections, such as by making the MoU regarding the placement and protection of the worker; even though it does not always run smooth in the actual field,” he said.
Dean of Unpas FISIP Dr. M. Budiana, M.Si stated that the FGD is the series of commemoration of Indonesian 77th Anniversary, as well as Indonesian employment kaleidoscope in foreign country.
The discussion was also carried out as brainstorming forum regarding the employment in foreign country which is held for teachers and students of Department of International Relation FISIP Unpas. (Reta)**
