DPR Member: State Must Guarantee the Safety of Indonesian Migrant Workers in the Middle East
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Member of the Commission IX of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Heru Tjahjono, said that the state must guarantee the safety of Indonesian citizens (WNI), including Indonesian migrant workers (PMI) who are in the Middle East, when conflicts escalate.
He said the situation is heating up in the Middle East region involving Iran and the United States, which is widening and affecting several Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Iraq. These countries are major destinations for PMI.
‘The state must ensure their safety, as mandated by Law Number 18 of 2017 concerning the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers, in particular Article 6 which guarantees security and safety while working,’ said Heru in Jakarta on Wednesday.
Based on the official January 2026 publication data from KP2MI, he said, the number of Indonesian migrant workers recorded in the region includes 8,308 in Saudi Arabia, 1,439 in the UAE, and 763 in Kuwait, with the majority working as domestic helpers, elder care nurses, and informal sector labourers.
‘These numbers are not small. Thousands of our migrant workers are in a region currently experiencing escalating conflict,’ he said.
He said the concrete steps that must be taken immediately are to reassess or mitigate for migrant workers who are at direct risk due to the escalation.
The Indonesian representatives in the affected countries must carry out re-registration/data updates, monitor field conditions, and ensure emergency communication channels are easily accessible to migrant workers.
He also urged the government, through the Embassies and Consulates-General in the placement countries, to immediately establish a hotline or dedicated information centre for Indonesian migrant workers.
‘This service is important to ensure information on the condition, safety, and needs of migrant workers can be monitored and updated regularly,’ he said.
In addition, he asked the Ministry for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers to coordinate intensively with the Indonesian Migrant Worker Placement Companies (P3MI) to ensure the safety and monitoring of each worker. He emphasised that ensuring information for families back home is also an important part of comprehensive protection.
‘The state must be present in a concrete way, ensuring our migrant workers are protected and their families receive certainty amid a volatile global situation,’ he said.