'It's not easy to find work in Jakarta'

The Jakarta administration on Monday will start checking people returning home after Idul Fitri holidays. Those caught without Jakarta identity cards, permanent jobs or residence in the city, will be sent back home. The Jakarta Post asked some residents about their opinion on the policy.

Basri, 32, is a minivan driver. He rents a house in Kebayoran Lama, but often returns to his home in Parung, Bogor:

I agree with the policy to close Jakarta to unskilled people. Everyone knows it's not easy to find jobs here if you don't have the skills.

As the number of jobless migrants here is already high, more coming would only cause more problems.

We can see that there are already too many beggars, homeless people and street children in our neighborhoods. If there is no effort to curb the migration of unskilled people, more and more will come.

What's worse, crime is also increasing. As a minivan driver, I have to pay a lot of money to many thugs at the bus terminals. Police cannot do anything to stop them.

Haryanto, 40, is a civil servant for South Jakarta city. He lives with his wife and three children in Jagakarsa, South Jakarta:

How can the administration prohibit people from entering the capital? Any efforts won't be effective because it is highly unlikely that officials from the city population agency will be able to conduct continuous raids against migrants. This would be too costly.

The unskilled migrants will add to the city's problems, as they will illegally occupy idle land or riverbanks, build makeshift houses and work as street vendors, blocking sidewalks and roads and causing traffic congestion.

It is a tough job to make those people realize that Jakarta cannot provide them with the kind of living they are looking for.

--The Jakarta Post