Government Prioritises Safety of Indonesian Citizens Amid Iran Conflict
The Indonesian government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemlu RI) evacuated 32 Indonesian citizens from Iran amid escalating conflict in the Middle East region.
A total of 22 Indonesian citizens arrived safely at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, whilst the remaining citizens are scheduled to return in the next batch.
The first wave of evacuation conducted on Tuesday (10 March) involved various categories of Indonesian citizens in Iran. Those participating in the first evacuation batch comprised 10 workers, 1 teacher or journalist, 14 students or university students, 2 Indonesian migrant workers, and 5 tourists.
The return process for Indonesian citizens was divided into two batches. The first batch of 22 people arrived safely at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Tangerang, Banten on Tuesday (10 March) at 18:00 WIB, after travelling from Baku, Azerbaijan. Meanwhile, the second batch carrying 10 other Indonesian citizens from Iran is expected to arrive at Soekarno-Hatta Airport on Wednesday (11 March).
Upon arrival in Indonesia, the Indonesian citizens were welcomed directly by Foreign Minister Sugiono. “We welcome you back to Indonesia and congratulate you on being reunited with your families,” said Foreign Minister Sugiono when welcoming the evacuated citizens.
He emphasised that amid the developing security situation in Iran and surrounding areas, the safety of Indonesian citizens remains the government’s highest priority. “Since the conflict began, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs together with Indonesian representatives in the Middle East have been coordinating closely to monitor the situation, conduct data collection on Indonesian citizens, and discuss contingency measures,” said Foreign Minister Sugiono.
After arriving in the country, the Indonesian citizens will be assisted by local governments to continue their journey to their respective regions of origin.
This evacuation is part of the Indonesian government’s ongoing efforts, particularly by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Indonesian representatives abroad, to ensure the safety and protection of Indonesian citizens in conflict-affected areas. In this process, two Indonesian representatives played an important role, namely the Indonesian Embassy in Tehran and the Indonesian Embassy in Baku.
Based on records from the Indonesian Embassy in Tehran, there are currently 329 Indonesian citizens registered in Iran. The majority of them are students or university students residing largely in Qom. The remainder comprise Indonesian migrant workers and expatriates.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Indonesian Embassy in Tehran continues to maintain intensive communication with Indonesian citizens in Iran to ensure their condition and whereabouts, whilst also conducting an assessment of forms of assistance that can be provided in accordance with the development of the situation.
The return journey took place through flights with Turkish Airlines via Baku, Azerbaijan, and were flown to Jakarta. In addition to encouraging all parties to exercise restraint, Indonesia has also pressed for the rapid reduction of tensions and for negotiation steps through dialogue.
The development of conflict in the Middle East shows increasingly widespread escalation. This situation has also raised concerns about the fate of Indonesian citizens amid the security escalation in the region. The Foreign Minister revealed the difficulty of evacuating Indonesian citizens from Iran due to airspace closure and advised Indonesian citizens to postpone travel to the Middle East due to security escalation.