MPs call for prioritisation of Indonesian citizens' safety in Middle East conflict

Jakarta — A member of Commission IX of the Indonesian Parliament, Edy Wuryanto, has called on the government to prioritise the safety of Indonesian nationals (WNI) working and residing in countries surrounding the Middle East conflict zone.

“The safety of citizens’ lives is the highest law. The state must be present more quickly, more alert, and more resolute in protecting every Indonesian national in the conflict region,” said Edy in Jakarta on Monday.

According to 2025 Indonesian migrant worker (PMI) placement data, there are at least 463,250 Indonesian migrant workers in Saudi Arabia, 180,103 in the United Arab Emirates, 77,329 in Qatar, and 63,306 in Oman.

According to Edy, these figures demonstrate that the Gulf region is one of the epicentres for Indonesian migrant worker placement. Each escalation of the conflict, he said, automatically impacts a large concentration of Indonesian nationals.

“With such a large number of Indonesian migrant workers in the Gulf region, the government cannot simply wait. Anticipatory measures must be prepared early before the situation deteriorates,” he said.

Additionally, Article 21 of Law No. 37 of 1999 concerning Foreign Relations mandates that Indonesian diplomatic missions provide protection, gather citizens in safe areas, and facilitate repatriation at state expense if there is a genuine threat of danger.

“The law has given the mandate. If there is a threat of war and citizens’ safety is threatened, then the repatriation mechanism must be implemented,” he said.

Furthermore, Edy emphasised the importance of concrete measures on the ground. He called on all Indonesian embassies and consulates in the Gulf region to conduct detailed tracing and re-registration of Indonesian migrant workers within their accredited territories.

“Embassies must actively trace Indonesian migrant workers by name and address in their territories. Data cannot be merely aggregate. We must know precisely who is where, in what condition, and what their risk level is,” he said.

“The government must communicate the conditions of the areas where Indonesian migrant workers live and what contingency plans have already been prepared. Information transparency is part of protection,” he said.