Government to begin repatriating illegal migrants

Annastashya Emmanuelle, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government will soon begin the process of repatriating some 400 illegal migrants, mostly Afghans, who see neither economic future nor legal certainty for themselves if they stay in Indonesia, an official said on Friday.

According Muhammad Indra, the supervision and control director at the Immigration Directorate General, the first 100 migrants would be transported by the end of this week.

Of the 400 people, 385 are from Afghanistan, while the remainder are Iraqis, Iranians, and Pakistanis, all of whom have been staying in Indonesia for the past two years.

"We hope that they will inspire other illegal migrants to return to their own countries at their own will -- they would find a better future in Afghanistan," Indra said in a statement.

Ade Dachlan, the immigration spokesman, said that at least 100 people would be sent home by Sunday, at the very the soonest, while the others were waiting for their travel documents to be issued by immigration officers.

The plane tickets and accommodation would be arranged by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), he added.

IOM officials, however, denied that all of the migrants would be repatriated immediately, as officials are confirming the security condition in their home countries.

The organization said that about 300 Afghans had expressed interest in returning to their country following the improvement of security conditions there and the establishment of a new government in Kabul.

"We are in the process of discussing security conditions with the authorities in Kabul, the Emirates and Iran ... it's impossible to repatriate anyone by the end of this week -- even in the next two weeks," Richard Danziger, the head of IOM in Indonesia, told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

There is still no exact time frame of when the migrants would be returned to their countries of origin.

According to immigration office data, there are currently 1,663 illegal migrants across Indonesia; of these, 493 have been granted refugee status by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), and are awaiting completion of the resettlement process.

Illegal migrants -- which often use Indonesia as a transit point on their way to Australia and other Western countries -- have strained diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Australia recently. Australia has criticized Indonesia for being inept in guarding the coasts of its archipelago.

To address the issue, Indonesian and Australian government officials will hold a conference on people smuggling in Bali at the end of the month.