Hundreds of Migrant Workers Return Home Within Safety and Care
On a misty Ramadan morning, hundreds of migrant workers lined up neatly at Makassar terminal’s courtyard. Some carried worn cloth bags full of stories from their home villages; others cradled small children sleeping on their mothers’ shoulders.
They were not merely passengers; they were a portrait of Indonesia returning home, carrying hopes, prayers, and free tickets from PT Pelindo Jasa Maritim (SPJM). On Monday evening, 16 March 2026, 12 bus fleets released 360 people bound for Palopo, Soroako, and Toraja. It was not an ordinary journey. It was a homecoming wrapped in corporate social responsibility.
“This programme is not merely transporting people,” said SPJM Corporate Secretary Tubagus Patrick, his voice soft yet firm amid the evening bustle. “We want them to reach their home villages safely, comfortably, and without additional burdens on the road.” SPJM Director-General Arief Prabowo personally saw off the departures.
In his eyes was a concern rarely displayed in corporate meeting rooms: attention to detail, inspection of fleet suitability, food and beverages during the journey, and health provisions. All were arranged so that the risk of accidents that often haunts long-distance motorcycle riders could be reduced to a minimum.
Far to the north on Java island, at Pasar Senen Station, 480 migrant workers from KAI’s free homecoming programme were also preparing to board KA Tawang Jaya Premium towards Semarang Tawang. KAI Public Relations Manager Daop 1 Jakarta Franoto Wibowo explained that this programme had become a routine agenda since 2023.
“We want to encourage people to switch from motorcycles to mass transportation that is safer,” he said. Behind the statistics—54,216 passengers departing and 22,574 arriving that day—were human stories: families wanting to meet their parents, migrant children bringing gifts, and the simple hope that this year’s Eid would not be marked by road accidents.
In Medan, North Sumatra, Mayor Rico Tri Putra Waas saw off 2,100 migrant workers on the first day, followed by 1,900 more the following day. A total of 4,000 quotas were provided for routes within the province: Pakpak Bharat, Sidikalang, Tarutung, Sibolga, and Natal. “The tradition of returning home is an important moment,” said Rico. He emphasised strict inspection of bus crews and fleets to ensure the long journey was safe.
In Semarang, the municipal government provided 12 fleets, seven for the outbound journey and five for the return, for residents from the Wong Semarang Association in Jakarta. Danang Kurniawan, Head of Semarang City Transportation Office, described this as part of a provincial programme supported by municipal budgets. “We pick up and send off our own residents,” he said with a note of pride.