Dozens of Indonesian Migrant Workers from Bandung Barat Safe in the Middle East; Regency Government Awaiting Update

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BANDUNG BARAT – The escalating conflict in the Middle East region has raised concerns about the welfare and safety of Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI) from Bandung Barat Regency, West Java. The head of the Training, Productivity, Labour Placement, and Transmigration (P3TKT) division at Bandung Barat’s Labour Office (Disnaker), Dewi Andani, said that the number of PMI from Bandung Barat officially recorded does not include those who left illegally through middlemen and work in the informal sector. According to her, the number is estimated to be much higher. “Those who departed illegally via middlemen are estimated to be far higher. Like the tip of an iceberg, it is only revealed when problems arise,” she said. Based on data from the Bandung Barat Labour Office (Disnaker KBB), in 2024 there were 99 Bandung Barat-born PMI who worked in several Middle Eastern countries, such as Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Jordan. Then in 2025 there were 90 people with the same destination countries. Meanwhile in 2026 up to early March, 21 PMI from Bandung Barat were recorded as working in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait. “That data is what is recorded in the office. They work in the formal sector and their deployment is procedural. None are working in Iran,” Dewi Andani said when contacted on Wednesday (4/3/2026). To date, Disnaker KBB has not received reports regarding conditions or obstacles faced by PMIs amid the mounting geopolitical tensions. Nevertheless, they will promptly coordinate with the Ministry for Migrant Worker Protection (KP2MI) to ensure protection and monitoring of PMIs from Bandung Barat. The Bandung Barat Regency is also awaiting official information from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemenlu) regarding the condition of Bandung Barat residents including PMIs located in the Middle East. “For now, God willing, they are still safe. We will continue to await updates from Kemenlu and maintain coordination with KP2MI, of course regarding the fate of PMIs from KBB,” said Dewi.