Unauthorized firms blamed for illegal workers

Unauthorized firms blamed for illegal workers

JAKARTA (JP): The Association of Labor Export Companies urged
the government yesterday to take stern action against
unauthorized labor exporters whom they blame for the problems
currently arising with illegal migrant workers.

The association's secretary-general, Anthon Sihombing, said
after meeting with the director general of labor placement that
many companies and individuals were going to villages across the
country to seek "their victims for money" by sending them
overseas illegally.

"The unauthorized firms and individuals ask these unsuspecting
job seekers, mostly female, to pay between Rp 1 million (US$125)
and Rp 3 million with a promise of a better job and high payment
in dollars," he said.

The job seekers were then "smuggled without the necessary
documents, such as a visa and passport, and handed over to their
foreign partners to be sold to those needing cheap labor," he
said.

He claimed that these unauthorized companies treated job
seekers inhumanely with little concern for their welfare.

"They (the job seekers) are put in houses under conditions
which are no better than a prison for weeks, even months, before
they are transported by ship from Tanjung Priok and harbors in
Sumatra," he said.

He said job seekers bound for Saudi Arabia had used green
passports, usually used for umroh (minor haj) pilgrims and six-
month tourism visas, to work in the country.

Some 24,000 Indonesians were deported by Saudi Arabia in
December for entering the country without the necessary
documents. Malaysia is also in the process of deporting an
estimated 12,000 Indonesian immigrants for the same reason.

Anthon, who is also president of labor exporter PT Luhur Asa
Vrima, said the association would impose organizational sanctions
against its member firms found to be collaborating with
unauthorized individuals to export labor.

"We are checking dozens of companies to see if they are
collaborating with unauthorized individuals to export labor. If
they are found guilty sanctions will be imposed on them and, if
necessary, we will ask the government to revoke their export
licenses."

He said that the sending of illegal workers, especially
unskilled ones, could be detrimental for legitimate Indonesian
workers and tarnish the country's image overseas. (rms)