Indonesia to send 500,000 skilled workers abroad in 2026

Indonesia plans to deploy 300,000 to 500,000 skilled migrant workers to multiple countries starting April 2026.

Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment Abdul Muhaimin Iskandar said departures are scheduled in April, June, July, and September.

“Our target is as many as possible, at least 300,000 to 500,000 migrant workers. God willing, from April, June, July, and September we will be ready to send skilled workers abroad,” he told reporters in Jakarta on Tuesday.

The SMA/SMK Go Global program, jointly run by the Coordinating Ministry for Community Empowerment and the Ministry of Migrant Worker Protection (KemenP2MI), targets high school and vocational graduates to boost skills for overseas employment.

Destination countries include Japan, South Korea, Europe, the United States, and others, offering roles in welding, hospitality, and healthcare, with a focus on skilled positions rather than domestic work.

The government requires candidates to have at least high school or vocational education. Lowereducated workers are discouraged due to higher risks, particularly in domestic roles.

“The minimum education requirement ensures migrant workers gain specialized employment abroad, not merely domestic tasks,” Muhaimin said, highlighting the program’s focus on skills and safety.

Indonesia’s overseas worker placements exceeded their 2025 target, topping 286,422 by midDecember, according to Minister for Migrant Worker Protection Mukhtarudin. This represents 110.5 percent of the annual target of 259,144, based on data from the Computerized System for the Placement and Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (SISKOP2MI).

Domestic work led placements at 36.5 percent, followed by healthcare at 20.6 percent and manufacturing at 14.1 percent, with Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Malaysia remaining the top destination markets.

Remittances from Indonesian migrant workers reached Rp212 trillion (US$13.6 billion) through the third quarter of 2025, up 38.6 percent from Rp153 trillion in 2024, according to Bank Indonesia.

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Translator: Anita Permata Dewi, Martha Herlinawati Simanjuntak