Number of illegal workers in Saudi not final<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Manpower Abdul Latief said yesterday
\nthe number of illegal Indonesian workers in Saudi Arabia he
\nreported to President Soeharto last month was not final.<\/p>\n
He said the figure differed from that given by the Indonesian
\nAmbassador to Saudi Arabia Zarkowi Soejoeti because they were
\ncollected at different times.<\/p>\n
\"My figure was obtained when I went to Saudi Arabia on Nov.
\n5,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Latief said early November that 24,357 illegal workers had
\nbeen sent home in a one-month repatriation program. He said there
\nwere about 150,000 illegal Indonesian workers in Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n
But while Soeharto was on a minor pilgrimage to Mecca, Zarkowi
\ntold the President that the actual number of illegal workers was
\nonly 18,000. He did not say how many have returned, but in a
\nKompas report yesterday the number was quoted as 18,000.<\/p>\n
It cost the country US$300 to send each worker home. The money
\nwas taken from the state-owned workers insurance company PT
\nJamsostek.<\/p>\n
Latief said yesterday he would ask the Indonesian defense
\nattache in Saudi Arabia to check the number again.<\/p>\n
\"The defense attache can only run a data collection now as he
\nhas been very busy in the past week preparing for President
\nSoeharto's arrival in Saudi Arabia,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The repatriation operation, involving Garuda airlines and Air
\nForce planes, was conducted after Saudi Arabia ended a three-
\nmonth amnesty and began expelling illegal foreign workers.<\/p>\n
Late yesterday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas said
\nhis office was recounting the number of Indonesian workers
\nrepatriated from Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n
\"I don't know why we have different reports on the number of
\nillegal workers. There were probably mistakes in the counting,\"
\nAlatas said during a break in a hearing with the House of
\nRepresentatives. (imn\/amd)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/number-of-illegal-workers-in-saudi-not-final-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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