Veronica Tan Urges P3MI to Ensure Protection of Migrant Workers During Placement

Deputy Minister for Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA) Veronica Tan has reminded Indonesian Migrant Worker Placement Companies (P3MI) not to solely focus on sending workers abroad without ensuring their protection during the placement process. “P3MI should not simply, in quotation marks, give people the opportunity to work, but then provide no protection during their placement,” said Deputy Minister Veronica Tan at the commemoration of World Anti-Trafficking Day 2026 in Jakarta on Thursday. She emphasised that the protection of migrant workers must be a primary concern to prevent them from becoming victims of the crime of human trafficking. According to her, the government is currently strengthening oversight through a Joint Decree across ministries and agencies to ensure that the recruitment process for migrant workers is not exploited by individuals intending to engage in human trafficking. The Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection is also coordinating with the Ministry of Health and the Witness and Victim Protection Agency to ensure optimal handling of trafficking victims, including when victims require health services. On this occasion, she stressed that handling human trafficking requires collaboration from many parties and across sectors. “We are weaving collaboration together. Our hope is for learning and education, and in this fast-paced digital age, we also need an active public that reports incidents,” said Deputy Minister Veronica Tan. This joint effort is crucial because synergy between the government, law enforcement officials, the business world, the community, and the media is the main key to preventing human trafficking practices from the recruitment process through to the placement of migrant workers.