KP2MI and IOM Prepare Renewed Cooperation for Indonesian Migrant Worker Protection

The Ministry for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (KP2MI) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) are preparing a renewal of their cooperation in protecting Indonesian migrant workers (PMI) abroad.

“Cooperation between the IOM and the Indonesian government has so far been running well,” said Deputy Minister for P2MI Christina Aryani in a statement after receiving IOM Indonesia Chief of Mission Jeffrey Labovitz at the Ministry of P2MI office in Jakarta on Monday.

“Therefore, we consider it important to continue and at the same time enhance this cooperation through a renewal of the MoU,” Christina added.

The Deputy Minister stated that the renewal is necessary to align the cooperation with the institutional change from the Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Agency (BP2MI) to the Ministry of P2MI.

She expressed hope that the renewed cooperation can serve as a foundation for strengthening collaboration between the two parties in the protection and empowerment of Indonesian migrant workers.

Cooperation between the IOM and BP2MI has been in place since November 2021 and is set to expire in November 2026.

One form of cooperation that has been implemented, she continued, is the empowerment of returned Indonesian migrant workers and their families, including through the Golden Migrant Village (Demimas) programme.

“Empowerment is an important part of the migrant worker protection ecosystem,” she said.

“Protection is not only provided while migrant workers are in the destination country, but also needs to be strengthened after they return to Indonesia so that the experience and resources they have gained can become capital for building a more independent life,” she added.

“This is certainly one of the things we can continue and develop in future cooperation,” she said further.

Christina added that the continuation of cooperation with the IOM is also important for strengthening various Ministry of P2MI programmes, especially those related to the empowerment of returned migrant workers and their families.

“Therefore, the renewal of the MoU is not only expected to be an administrative adjustment due to the institutional change, but also a momentum to expand the scope of cooperation in line with the current protection needs of Indonesian migrant workers,” the Deputy Minister concluded.