Bengkulu City Government: 353 Residents Apply to Work Abroad as Prospective Indonesian Migrant Workers

Bengkulu City (ANTARA) - The Bengkulu City Government in Bengkulu Province recorded that from January to April 2026, 353 residents in the area applied to work abroad as prospective Indonesian migrant workers (PMI). Of these 353 applicants, 73 were declared to have passed verification and are ready to be dispatched. Regarding the work placement patterns, they remain the same as in previous years, with female PMIs predominantly entering the domestic sector as elderly caregivers up to household assistants, while male PMIs are placed in the fields of construction and palm oil plantations. “We urge prospective PMIs to follow legal procedures. Do not be tempted by illegal routes, as the risks are very high, ranging from fraud to legal problems in the destination country,” he said. For the public departing as PMIs, they must have a recommendation from the Manpower Office (Disnaker) to ensure legality so that the workers receive state protection if any legal issues arise. Furthermore, there is a work agreement between the prospective worker and the labour supply company, which must be known or approved by Disnaker as a sign of legality, along with attaching a passport and other identification cards. The capital costs for departure to work abroad vary; for Taiwan, they range from Rp30 to 40 million, while for Japan, Rp50 to Rp60 million per person, and these funds include administrative documents, travel expenses, and pocket money. These departure capital costs are usually borne by private institutions or companies operating as PMI recruiters, and subsequently, each resident wishing to depart will have deductions from their salary each month according to the agreement. With many people working abroad, this can help reduce the unemployment rate in the region, as based on data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the number of unemployed in Bengkulu City reaches 10,156 people.