Migrant problem a headache for Batam authorities

Tantri Yuliandini, The Jakarta Post, Batam, Riau

If there is anything that causes headaches for the authorities of Batam Island, it is the uncontrollable influx of migrant workers from Java and Sumatra, who have not only made the island well-known for its cheap labor but also for squatters.

Chairman of the Batam Industrial Development Authority (BIDA) Ismeth Abdullah said that controlling the influx of migrants was the agency's "main target".

"It is a dilemma for us because the more we advertise about Batam, the more migrants come looking for work," he told foreign reporters on a visit here.

Bantam's population growth of between 13 percent and 14 percent per annum is well above the national average of 1.35 percent a year, mostly due to the influx of migrants drawn by the promise of work.

Batam's population reached 462,528 at the end of 2000 and is estimated to surpass 600,000 this year, Ismeth said.

Population peaked between 1998 and 1999 when the crunch of the economic crisis caused thousands of workers across the country to lose their jobs.

"They came to Batam in hopes of finding jobs here, because our industries were mostly unaffected by the crisis," Ismeth said.

In 1999, Batam's population jumped 35 percent to 358,700 inhabitants from 266,428 the previous year.

The growth of businesses and the development of low cost housing in Batam are lagging behind the high growth. This has resulted in the emergence of unemployed squatters.

To control the influx of migrants, the Batam municipality passed a decree in March this year to establish requirements and procedures for those wishing to enter Batam. The decree took effect in August.

"We're not closing the island, but merely controlling it for the benefit of the people," Ismeth said, adding that the Chinese government had done the same with Shenzhen, which is also a special economic zone.

The administration, along with BIDA, will establish checkpoints at the main ports of entry on Batam to control the entry of migrants, he said, explaining that a special pass would be given to frequent visitors for easier access.

Visitors to the island are interviewed one by one and those without a clear reason for entry, whether for business or tourism, would be sent back, Ismeth said, adding that he usually turns away more than 100 people in a day.

"By having a program to reduce the influx of people to Batam, we can gradually manage to provide low-cost housing for those in Batam," he said.

Ismeth said developers were given special incentives for developing low-cost housing in Batam.

"We have allocated land and subsidized it so developers can sell it at a lower price to the public," he said.

Land for about 15,000 low-cost homes will be ready for development this year, while some 20 low-cost apartments are expected to be ready for occupancy, Ismeth said.

"So we are starting to deal with this matter year by year," he said.