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