Will identity card raids solve city migration?

Emmy Fitri and Annastashya Emmanuelle, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The city administration plans to launch identity card (KTP) raids soon as a way to control incoming migrants.

The measure was taken following Governor Sutiyoso's plan to issue a gubernatorial decree that would make Jakarta a closed city for people coming from elsewhere.

Attempts to disseminate information on the raids have been done by distributing brochures and installing big banners at public places, including bus and railway stations.

As though to ease public fears over the closed city policy, Head of the City's Population Agency Sylviana Murni stated that such a raid was not meant to make Jakarta a closed city to bar people's rights to earn a living. "It's just to make sure that the public comply with the administration's rules and regulations," she told The Jakarta Post recently.

The Rp 13 billion operation, which she said was to be carried out any time after Jan. 3, will target migrant enclaves in slum areas and labor-supplying agencies across the city.

During the raids, officers from the population agency will ask people to show their identity cards or at least travel documents from their respective subdistricts.

Those who fail to show them will be asked to pay a fine of Rp 5 million (US$500) or be jailed for three months.

But as many administration officials are corrupt, people here will find no difficulty in getting a KTP in Jakarta.

"To obtain an ID card within 14 days the fee is Rp 20,000," said Ismail, a member of staff at the Menteng subdistrict office in Central Jakarta.

Acip, an official at Baru subdistrict in Pasar Rebo, East Jakarta, even said he could help obtain an ID card within two to three days, but the cost for the express service would be Rp 150,000.

But critics have questioned the planned raid, saying that it was only aimed at controlling migrants. They claim that it is wrong and violates human rights.

The city administration has apparently failed to recognize the main problems of urbanization. People will always come to cities to look for better living conditions.

They dream of having a better life if they migrate to Jakarta. They choose Jakarta because, compared to other cities, they see it as the best place to realize their dreams. Their dreams become even more strengthened when homecoming migrants from their villages tell them about their success stories.

Who is to blame then if the migrants take along their relatives or friends to the capital, as all the nation's territory, including the 661.5 square kilometers of Jakarta, should serve all citizens who wish to live a better life.

"What's wrong with looking for a job?" said the 31-year-old Timin who had just come from Wonosobo, Central Java. Timin is here with his wife Halimah who is currently working as a housemaid for a family in Bekasi.

Annually, around 250,000 new migrants enter the capital and the city administration claims that they cause more social problems in Jakarta, which already has a population of about 12 million during the day and 10 million at night.

Coordinator of the Jakarta Residents Forum (Fakta) Azas Tigor Nainggolan said the city administration has to stop the useless operation and instead accommodate migrants who mostly work in the informal sector, such as housemaids, street vendors and other menial jobs.

"These people help the city increase its revenue. They are not demanding job vacancies as they create jobs," Azas told The Jakarta Post last week.

Azas cited, as an example, street vendors, who now number some 150,000. They are mostly migrants and they pay Rp 5,000 per day in city taxes. "Yearly, they contribute some Rp 32 billion to Rp 40 billion to the city," he noted.

Secretary general of the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) Asmara Nababan told the Post last week that urbanization could not be restrained as Jakarta will always be seen as glittering with opportunities while the provinces, where the migrants come from, have barely anything to offer their residents.

Asmara also doubted the effectiveness of the KTP raids, as it would require thousands of personnel. "I'm afraid a large portion of the city budget will be spent on yet another useless project," he added.

"But the main issue here is that banning people from trying to have a better life is against basic human rights. I think such a plan should not be implemented at all," Asmara said, adding it would not be effective.

When Sylviana asked whether it would be effective or not, she said, "I realize that it will be far from being effective, but this is what we can try and do to control the population here".