Sutiyoso says Jakarta is full

Sutiyoso says Jakarta is full

Damar Harsanto
The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

In fear of massive influx of migrants after the Idul Fitri
exodus, Governor Sutiyoso refreshed his call on migrants not to
bring along their hometown friends or relatives to the city to
settle down.

"We will have no problem if they (the new migrants) just come
for vacation. But, if they think they can find a job here, they
are completely wrong. Job opportunities are hard to find here,
especially for unskilled ones," Sutiyoso told migrants who would
depart to their hometowns at Senen railway station in Central
Jakarta.

The governor visited several bus terminals and railway
stations in the city to monitor the Idul Fitri exodus, which peak
is predicted on Thursday and Friday.

According to Sutiyoso, every year, between 250,000 and 300,000
new migrants, mostly unskilled ones, entered the capital for
jobs, putting another headache to already densely populated city.

"We are facing serious problem with the city's population
density reaching up to 14,000 residents per square kilometers in
some areas," he complained.

Jakarta still becomes a magnet for people from less developed
areas as around 70 percent of the country's money circulating
here.

The migrants usually end up working in informal sectors for
low-paid jobs. But, many have even failed to get any jobs and
roaming at the city's streets.

City Mental, Spiritual and Social Welfare revealed on
Wednesday that it managed to lock up almost 7,000 homeless people
and the dispossessed ones this year, which number is three times
larger than last year's.

Separately on Thursday, City Population and Civil Registration
Agency head Khamil Abdul Kadir said that his agency would launch
check to migrants in areas suspected to be enclaves of unskilled
migrants after the Idul Fitri.

"We will focus the checks at residential areas with the help
of respective community unit and neighborhood unit heads to
monitor new migrants," Kadir said.

Among those residential areas, which have been identified as
the favorite areas for new migrants, are Pademangan, Warakas,
both in North Jakarta, Palmeriam in East Jakarta, Kali Anyer in
West Jakarta, Johar Baru in Central Jakarta and Tebet in South
Jakarta.

Kadir, however, predicted that the number of residents went
out of the city would slightly decrease compared to the same
exodus last year, partly due to the past legislative and
presidential elections when many Jakarta residents return to
their hometowns to cast their votes.

According to the newly issued Bylaw No. 4/2004 on population,
people who are caught in the population dragnet have to show
necessary documents, like Jakarta population identity cards or
documents showing that he/she has permanent job and residence or
pay Rp 5 million otherwise.

I-Box

Flux of people in-and-out Jakarta

Year Exodus Influx Increase

1998 2,853,868 3,201,624 4.2 %
1999 2,622,430 2,857,215 2.8 %
2000 2,159,729 2,416,452 3.1 %
2001 2,643,273 2,874,801 1.6 %
2002 2,643,273 2,874,801 2.8 %
2003 2,816,384 3,021,214 2.5 %

Source: City Population and Civil Registration Agency