Middle East Unrest: SBMI Says Many West Java Citizens Are Migrant Workers There

The situation in the Middle East is intensifying, raising concerns about the safety of Indonesian citizens (WNI) currently living and working as Indonesian migrant workers (PMI) in countries across the region.

Juwarih, Secretary-General of the Indonesian Migrant Workers Union (SBMI), stated that Middle Eastern countries have historically been among the primary destinations for PMI placement. However, the majority of these workers are deployed through non-procedural or irregular channels, including those from West Java.

The PMI placement countries include Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar. Additionally, some PMI work in Iran, despite Indonesia having no official worker placement programme with that country.

“PMI are distributed across almost all Middle Eastern countries. Most of them are from West Java, particularly from Cianjur, Sukabumi, Purwakarta and Indramayu,” said Juwarih on Monday.

He acknowledged that Indonesian diplomatic missions abroad have already issued advisory notices regarding security guidance for migrant workers in the Middle East. Nevertheless, SBMI is urging the Indonesian government to prepare evacuation procedures for PMI should conditions deteriorate further.

According to Juwarih, under the mandate of Law Number 37 of 1999 concerning Foreign Relations, the state is obligated to evacuate Indonesian citizens when the host country is experiencing conflict or war. This obligation is further reinforced through the Regulation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Number 5 of 2018 concerning Protection of Indonesian Citizens Abroad.

“It is the state’s obligation to conduct evacuation of Indonesian citizens in conflict-affected countries,” said Juwarih.