Hope for a Swift Evacuation of Indonesian Citizens from the Still-Volatile Middle East

Jakarta, Kompas.com - Since the war between Iran and Israel and the United States (US) broke out on Friday (28 February 2026), the escalation of the conflict has intensified. Israel and the US have attacked Iran. Salvoes of missiles and drones directed by Iran at Israel, but also at several US air bases in a number of Middle Eastern countries. The tension of the war shows no sign of an end, especially today, Wednesday (4 March 2026) when Iran announced its new leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who replaces his father who was killed in the initial Israeli attack. Currently there are hundreds of thousands, both Umrah pilgrims and Indonesian migrant workers (PMI) who reside in countries around the conflict. There are also Indonesians who are students studying in the Middle East.

Because the escalation of the conflict cannot be calculated when it will end, there are calls for the Indonesian government to prioritise the safety of its citizens in the Middle East. The chairperson of Advokat Integritas Justitia Madani Indonesia (IJMI) Yunety Tarigan said, although the conflict continues to heat up, the government of Indonesia is judged to be slow in prioritising evacuation of Indonesian citizens in conflict areas, especially for Indonesian workers in the Middle East as per IJMI’s domain. ‘First, what we regret most is that we do not see how many migrant workers are working in Iran, regardless of whether they are legally registered or unprocedural there,’ she said. ‘Protection should be attached immediately and it is the state’s obligation to evacuate Indonesian citizens in conflict areas. We urge evacuation to safe areas and that the evacuation process itself ensure that there is no “no one left behind” and that all can be evacuated safely.’ ‘Not only in Iran, but because this conflict has spread to almost the entire Middle East, we hope areas targeted include Oman and the Emirates as well,’ she said. Similar sentiments were expressed by Hikmahanto Juwana, Professor of International Law at the University of Indonesia. He advised that the Indonesian government should immediately evacuate Indonesian citizens in line with escalating tensions in the Middle East. According to Hikmahanto, such a move is important to protect Indonesian citizens from possible unwanted events.