Influx of illegals from Malaysia continues
Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The massive influx of illegal immigrants returning from Malaysia continued on Thursday despite a decision by the neighboring country's government to extend an amnesty.
Over 5,000 Indonesian workers arrived at Tanjung Priok port in North Jakarta early on Thursday on board the passenger ship Umsini sailing from Port Klang, Penang, and Johor Baru in peninsular Malaysia. Upon disembarkation, most of them boarded buses to Surabaya from where they were to proceed to their home villages in East Java, and East and West Nusa Tenggara.
More than 500 workers who were heading for their home villages in West Java, Banten and Lampung were greeted by a joint task force of officials from the local manpower and transmigration office, the immigration office, the transportation office and the health office.
On Monday, another ship plying the same route also brought in around 5,000 returnees, mostly from East Java and West Nusa Tenggara.
Meanwhile, two ships anchored in Belawan seaport, North Sumatra, on Thursday, bringing with them hundreds of workers from Johor Baru. The returning workers were offered accommodation in tents and dormitories before being transported back to their home villages in West Sumatra and Aceh.
Elsewhere, thousands of illegal immigrants thronged three ports in Nunukan, East Kalimantan, after making the long trip from Sabah and Sarawak. Most of them claimed they had decided to return to their home villages in East and West Nusa Tenggara and South Sulawesi because of the "poor treatment" they faced during their employment in the neighboring country.
According to the local immigration office in Nunukan, more than 12,000 illegal immigrants had returned to Indonesia through the province four days before the amnesty was extended for the fourth time on Monday.
Petrus Kanisius, who chairs the local task force handling the exodus from Malaysia, said on Thursday that the flow of workers from East Malaysia back to Indonesia would continue over the coming weeks as they would be seeking immigration documents that would allow them to return to Malaysia.
"Many workers have said they want to go back to Malaysia after obtaining the necessary documents, but many others have said they were going home as they were not paid during their employment in Malaysia," he said.
More than 56,000 illegal workers have returned through the province since Malaysia offered an amnesty for the first time on Sept. 29, 2004.
Petrus said his team had heard complaints from many workers who said they would not return home to apply for documents as they had not yet received their salaries.
"The Malaysian authorities should look into the complaints if they want the workers to return home to obtain the proper documentation. It is impossible for them to leave if their salaries are withheld," he said.
Tati, 22, a worker from Central Java, said she felt depressed upon arriving in Belawan on Wednesday. She said she had returned home penniless as her employer in Komtar, Penang, had refused to pay her salary for the 1.5 years she had worked for him as a housemaid.
She fled her employer's house with the help of a woman who bought her a boat ticket home.
Both Tati and Sumiati, another worker who told a similar story, said they would not go back to Malaysia and instead would return to their home villages in Central Java.
The government is determined to bring the remaining 400,000 illegal immigrants home during the amnesty's two-month extension to avoid arrests during a planned large-scale crackdown on illegal immigrants in Malaysia.
Meanwhile, a coordinating meeting among the relevant Indonesian ministries concerned with the expulsion of the illegal immigrants from Malaysia was expected to continue on Friday. Director General for Labor Exports at the Manpower and Transmigration Ministry, I Gede Arke, said the meeting was being held to arrange a "one-roof service" for illegal immigrants to facilitate their legal return to Malaysia. Editorial -- Page 6