US$22m to evacuate migrant workers

JAKARTA: Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla said on Monday that the government had allocated Rp 200 billion (US$22 million) for the repatriation of Indonesian workers in Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.

Jusuf said if the safety of Indonesian workers in that region was at risk, the government would repatriate some 80,000 workers in the region.

"The government has put aside Rp 200 billion for the repatriation of Indonesian workers from countries around Iraq," Jusuf was quoted by Antara as saying.

He also appealed to the Indonesian people to avoid violence when venting their anger against the invasion of Iraq by the United States and Britain. --Antara