Illegal workers kidnapped on way home<\/p>\n
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The blackmailing and kidnapping of illegal Indonesian workers
\nreturning from Malaysia is widespread, the Consortium of
\nIndonesian Migrant Workers Advocacy (Kopbumi) revealed on
\nThursday.<\/p>\n
Kopbumi executive secretary Wahyu Susilo said such crimes had
\nbeen found in Jambi and several towns in West Nusa Tenggara.<\/p>\n
The crime is also believed to be going on in Medan, North
\nSumatra, in Batam, Riau, in Surakarta, Central Java, in Surabaya
\nand in Banyuwangi, East Java, he said.<\/p>\n
\"So far, we have come across 20 such crimes in Jambi, but we
\nare sure this is just the tip of the iceberg. I'm afraid the
\nnumber of actual cases has reached thousands,\" he told The
\nJakarta Post.<\/p>\n
He said the lack of security in connecting cities was a major
\nfactor behind widespread crime inflicted on illegal workers.<\/p>\n
\"Such crime does not happen in Nunukan, East Kalimantan
\nbecause the local police and government are ready to assist the
\nreturning illegal workers,\" he said.<\/p>\n
About 480,000 illegal workers are returning home after the
\nMalaysian government implemented strict new immigration
\nlegislation on Aug. 1, which threatens illegal immigrants with
\ncaning, fines, and jail sentences.<\/p>\n
According to one estimate, half of the returnees worked in
\nWest Malaysia and so will pass through Sumatra, while the other
\nhalf worked in East Malaysia and, therefore, will pass through
\nEast Kalimantan.<\/p>\n
At least 1,000 returnees pass through Jambi every day, while
\nin Medan, more than 10,000 illegal workers have traveled by.<\/p>\n
\"With such large numbers of workers passing by on their way
\nhome, blackmailing and kidnapping workers has become a very
\nlucrative enterprise for criminals,\" Wahyu said.<\/p>\n
He gave an example of a returning worker from West Nusa
\nTenggara, who was forced to pay between Rp 2 million (US$222) and
\nRp 3 million ($333) to free himself from a house full of hostages
\nin Jambi.<\/p>\n
A returning illegal worker, Indro, from Tulungagung in East
\nJava, even said that the family of his friend had to pay at least
\nRp 6 million to release his friend, who had been taken hostage in
\nTanjung Pinang, Riau.<\/p>\n
According to him, if families of workers refuse to pay, the
\nbandits would continue to detain the workers and treat them like
\nslaves.<\/p>\n
Wahyu added the syndicates involved local people,
\ntransportation businessmen, illegal suppliers and even government
\nofficials and police officers.<\/p>\n
He expected the police to intensify security at transit points
\nto stop such crimes.<\/p>\n
He also hoped local people, who knew about such practices,
\nwould report the criminals to the local police or Kopbumi's local
\nrepresentative offices.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, hundreds of illegal workers fleeing Malaysia's
\nstrict new immigration law have arrived in Kendari, the capital
\nof the Southeast Sulawesi province, in a miserable condition.<\/p>\n
Some female workers were in a late stage of pregnancy, while
\nothers had bruises after suffering the caning penalty dealt out
\nby Malaysian officials, a harsh form of punishment under the new
\nimmigration law, which went into effect on Aug. 1.<\/p>\n
After they left Sabah, Malaysia, the workers became stranded
\nin Nunukan, East Kalimantan for several days. Most of the workers
\nwere penniless and had to spend the night out in the open. They
\nwere forced to rely on other workers' kindness for food.<\/p>\n
The government had promised to finance the workers' trip home
\nto their village in Southeast Sulawesi, but that did not happen,
\nleaving most to sell their belongings for the trip.<\/p>\n
These workers reached Kendari aboard a passenger ship
\nbelonging to state-owned shipping operator Pelni.<\/p>\n
The local Transmigration and Manpower Agency estimated that
\nabout 2,000 residents of Southeast Sulawesi were working
\nillegally in Malaysia.<\/p>\n
Antara reported Thursday that at least 10,000 illegal workers
\nstranded in Nunukan had returned mainly to Surabaya in East Java,
\nPare-pare in Central Sulawesi and Maumere in East Nusa Tenggara
\n(NTT).<\/p>\n
Nunukan vice regent Kasmir Foret said about 20,000 workers
\nwere applying for legal working documents, but the number might
\nincrease.<\/p>\n
In Maumere, hundreds of returnees arrived at Maumere port on
\nWednesday on a state-owned Pelni ship.<\/p>\n
NTT Manpower and Transmigration Agency head Joseph Setyohadi
\nsaid that more than 1,300 illegal workers from the province had
\nreturned home before Wednesday.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/illegal-workers-kidnapped-on-way-home-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}