Minister of Transmigration Asserts Recruitment for 2026 Patriot Expedition Team Must Be Transparent
The directive was issued ahead of the announcement of the 2026 TEP selection results, which has seen exceptionally high enthusiasm from Indonesia’s younger generation this year. By the close of the registration period, 10,359 participants from approximately 1,992 universities across Indonesia had registered for the programme. Meanwhile, the available quota is limited to around 1,230 participants and 246 team leaders.
According to Iftitah, the high level of interest demonstrates that the spirit of leadership, mutual cooperation, and devotion to the nation remains strong among the youth. “The success of the Patriot Expedition Team Programme is not only measured by the number of participants sent out, but also by our ability to maintain public trust in the process being implemented,” said Iftitah.
He emphasised that the Ministry of Transmigration has placed full trust in partner universities to conduct the selection in accordance with their respective academic standards, professionalism, and integrity. Consequently, all recruitment stages are required to be objective, open, and accountable. Universities are also requested to transparently communicate the criteria, mechanisms, and selection principles used.
Minister Iftitah asserted that there are no instructions, interventions, or special requests regarding the passing of specific participants in the selection process. “The Patriot Expedition Team is not looking for participants who have the strongest access or connections, but rather participants who possess the best capacity to serve Indonesia. It is better that we lose a participant with connections than lose the best participant with capacity,” he stated firmly.
Furthermore, he requested that all documents and selection assessment results be well-documented as a form of accountability, as well as to serve as material for evaluating and improving the programme in the future. Iftitah also reminded that participants who do not pass are not necessarily incompetent; the high number of qualified applicants compared to the available quota makes the selection process highly competitive.
As a form of programme sustainability, the Ministry of Transmigration will continue to engage all applicants through the ‘Sahabat Patriot’ Community. This community will serve as a platform for learning, capacity building, collaboration, and service for Indonesia’s younger generation. “All applicants are national assets. The only difference is the opportunity and the timing of their service,” concluded the Minister of Transmigration.