Minister for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers Says He Is Addressing the Root Causes of PMI Problems to Prevent People from Becoming Victims of Human Trafficking
JAKARTA — Indonesia’s Minister for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (P2MI), Mukhtarudin, said the government is currently addressing the root causes of Indonesian migrant workers’ (PMI) problems from the upstream side to prevent a range of issues in the future. He noted that most PMI problems originate at early stages, such as recruitment processes, limited understanding among prospective workers, and weak supervision. Consequently, the government is focusing reforms on these aspects.
‘We realise that the problems faced by PMI are upstream problems. We are fixing the upstream now. If we fix the upstream, the downstream will automatically be better,’ he said at the P2MI Ministry, Jakarta, on Thursday (5 March 2026).
The government is also strengthening cross-sector cooperation to raise public understanding of the rules-based mechanisms for PMI placement. ‘To prevent the public from becoming victims of TPPO, fraud victims, fake job vacancies and ongoing hoaxes — which occur daily — this stems from people’s ignorance,’ he stated. ‘Because the public does not know, we as the government have a moral and structural obligation to provide understanding and knowledge and information on how to become a safe migrant worker.’
The collaboration brings together various actors, ranging from professional associations, community organisations, local governments, the media and youth organisations. Among them are the Indonesian Psychology Association (Himpunan Psikologi Indonesia) for psychological support for migrant workers’ children, and Barisan Pemuda. The ministry has also collaborated with the All Indonesian Regional Representatives Council Association (ADKASI) as a local government body, as well as the Perkumpulan Purna Kepala Desa Seluruh Indonesia (Perpukadesi) and its educational foundation. Other collaborators include Garuda TV, the HMI Students Association (PB HMI), and the HMI-Wati Corps (Kohati).
On the downstream side, Mukhtarudin said the agency is strengthening regulations, expanding cooperation, and boosting bilateral negotiations with employers abroad. He emphasised that protection should be comprehensive — from before placement, during overseas work, to after migrant workers return to Indonesia. The government, he added, will be maximally present to ensure every migrant worker receives protection. Looking ahead, the government aims to increase the placement of skilled migrant workers while reducing the problems faced by PMI year by year.