Ministry of Immigration and Community Affairs Monitors Conditions of Indonesians Affected by Iran War
Minister of Immigration and Community Affairs Agus Andrianto stated that his ministry has conducted monitoring activities for Indonesian citizens (WNI) affected by the war between Iran and the United States and its ally Israel.
He claimed that, as of today, based on the monitoring results by the Ministry of Immigration and Community Affairs, no problems have been found, including in efforts to repatriate WNI to the homeland. “There have been no complaints from Indonesians abroad so far; they can return to Indonesia well,” Agus said during a working meeting with Commission XIII of the DPR on Thursday, 2 April 2026.
He explained that the issues occurring in the repatriation process of WNI, particularly in the Middle East region over the past month, relate to route diversions and flight cancellations by airlines. However, the results from 29,025 international passengers and WNI heading to Indonesia via flight routes crossing Middle Eastern airspace are confirmed to be running normally.
Furthermore, according to Agus, the Ministry of Immigration and Community Affairs will also prioritise monitoring of WNI using fake documents to head to other areas. “This monitoring is our priority,” Agus stated.
Previously, Director General for Asia, Pacific, and Africa at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Santo Darmosumarto said that authorities in several Middle Eastern countries have asked foreign nationals in their territories to remain at home and stay calm. “Governments in the Middle East do not recommend evacuation,” Santo said in a press release broadcast via the Foreign Ministry’s YouTube channel on Friday, 6 March 2026.
He explained that currently, the number of WNI in the Middle East region is recorded at 519,412 people. They are spread across several countries affected by the war between Iran and the United States and Israel, including Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Acting Director of WNI Protection at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Heni Hamidah assured that to date, no WNI have been injured or directly affected by the ongoing armed conflict between Uncle Sam and Iran.
Nevertheless, WNI in Iran will be evacuated in stages. The first phase of evacuation will begin this week with 32 WNI being repatriated.
They will be evacuated via the Azerbaijan route. “As for plans for subsequent evacuations, they will be decided by the Indonesian government after considering the most up-to-date security assessments,” Heni said in March 2026.