Govt must fight human trafficking<\/p>\n
Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Casingkem binti Aspin and Istiqomah binti Misnad are two of
\nmany Indonesian migrant workers who have been victims of human
\ntrafficking that involved corrupt government officials, local and
\ninternational syndicates.<\/p>\n
Apart from the political motives behind their recent abduction
\nin Iraq, the main question is why and how they entered Iraq when
\nthe government has prohibited Indonesian workers from going to
\nthe war-ravaged country.<\/p>\n
Upon their recent arrival home following their release by
\ntheir captors, the two women admitted to using fake documents to
\nleave for Amman, Jordan. They said they were not aware that they
\nwere to be sent to Iraq.<\/p>\n
They said they were \"sponsored\" by a local syndicate which
\nused the names and documents of two local labor recruitment
\ncompanies to send them to its international counterpart in Amman.<\/p>\n
Casingkem used a fake identity card from Sukabumi, West Java,
\nto apply for a passport from the immigration office in South
\nJakarta, while Istiqomah used a passport issued under the name of
\nRosidah binti Amoh, a resident of Malang in East Java.<\/p>\n
The two passports were not issued by the specially-authorized
\nunit of the immigration office in Cipinang, East Jakarta that
\nprocesses applications for workers hired by labor recruitment
\ncompanies and the applications cited PT Sabrina and PT Akbar
\nInsan Mandiri as their sponsors.<\/p>\n
PT Sabrina, which the two workers said was based in Condet in
\nEast Jakarta, was not registered with the manpower and
\ntransmigration ministry. But PT Akbar strongly denied being the
\nsponsor of the workers.<\/p>\n
In a later development that clearly demonstrated the
\nministry's incompetence, Minister of Manpower and Transmigration
\nJacob Nuwa Wea carried out an investigation into the case by
\ninterrogating the owners of PT Sabrina Paramitha and of PT Akbar,
\nimmigration and labor officials in the presence of the two women
\nworkers.<\/p>\n
To be fair and professional, the minister who had arbitrarily
\nrevoked the two companies' licenses, should entrust the case to
\nthe police to carry out a thorough investigation and to reveal
\nthe syndicate behind the smuggling of the two women overseas.<\/p>\n
Besides, the government also seemed quite slow in responding
\nto the increasing incidents of human trafficking which the
\nminister said were very difficult to detect.<\/p>\n
Labor activists and exporters have estimated that of the two
\nmillion Indonesians working overseas, 50 percent, or one million,
\nare illegal. They said that 90 percent of Indonesians working
\nillegally overseas faced violence and sexually harassment.<\/p>\n
According to data of the manpower ministry and the
\nobservation of local non-governmental organizations, most
\nIndonesian migrant workers overseas who were treated inhumanely
\nwere illegal.<\/p>\n
In fact, many Indonesian women and girls have been trafficked
\nto Malaysia and the Middle East to be employed as sex workers.<\/p>\n
So far, the government has yet to show political will to
\nprevent workers from working illegally overseas as well as to
\ncrack down on syndicates smuggling the illegal workers. This was
\nevidenced by the recent summoning of relevant government officers
\nin line with the two women's illegal departure to Jordan and
\nIraq.<\/p>\n
Many workers prefer to travel overseas illegally because of
\nthe complicated procedures and the expense of meeting all formal
\nrequirements. They choose to depart using fake documents to avoid
\nthe excessive costs and arduous procedures, without realizing
\nthat being illegal migrant workers makes them highly vulnerable
\nto blackmail and other forms of exploitation by their employers
\nor others.<\/p>\n
It is no wonder, the number of Indonesians working illegally
\nin Malaysia has reached an estimated 700,000. They are paid way
\nbelow the standard rate for migrant laborers, forced to work
\naround 10 hours a day, seven days a week. Most of their wages are
\nwithheld by their employers.<\/p>\n
The illegal departure of Indonesian workers overseas could be
\nhalted, or at least minimized, only if the government declares
\nwar against human trafficking and takes strict actions against
\ncorrupt labor and immigration officials.<\/p>\n
First of all, the government should deal firmly with corrupt
\nofficials at the directorate general for immigration and manpower
\nministry who allow workers to seek job overseas without necessary
\ndocuments.<\/p>\n
The government should also intensify cooperation with the
\nimmigration officials of countries that receive Indonesian
\nworkers, especially those at the main ports of entry, to detect
\nIndonesian workers using fake documents and their sponsors.<\/p>\n
The government should immediately enforce the newly endorsed
\nlaw on migrant worker protection to help minimize the trafficking
\nof women and children.<\/p>\n
The author is a staff writer for The Jakarta Post. He can be
\nreached at ridwan@thejakartapost.com<\/p>",
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