Minister for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers says there are around 100 Indonesian migrant workers in Iran, not dispatched by the government

Jakarta, Kompas.com - Minister for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (P2MI), Mukhtarudin, revealed that there are around 100 Indonesian migrant workers (PMI) in Iran. He said, “Yes, there are, but not many. The number is perhaps around a hundred,” when asked at the P2MI Ministry’s office in Jakarta on Thursday (5 March 2026). The Golkar politician noted that the PMI count in Iran is not as large as in other countries; however, these PMIs were not the result of official government placements, but rather individuals who went abroad independently.

Mukhtarudin also affirmed that the PMIs in Iran have not experienced problems following the United States and Israel attacks on the country. “There are none. No problems,” he said. The Ministry has not yet received data from the Indonesian Embassy in Tehran regarding requests to evacuate PMIs. “So, that means they are still under government control. Under the control of the Iranian government, and under the oversight of our representatives as well. So, no problems,” Mukhtarudin added.

In the video, Mukhtarudin said, the workers seemed to be in good standing and not in distress. “Yesterday we also received a vlog and a video from our friends in Iran. They were filming while walking around. He said, ‘we are just ordinary here. We walk, we go to the market. I have just taken my children to school,’” he stated.

“So, that, Alhamdulillah, provides us with reassurance. But we will continue to monitor. Escalation has been rising continuously. We will not relax monitoring, and emergency measures have been prepared,” he added.