Jakarta, IO – Foreign Ministry facilitated the repatriation of 154 vulnerable Indonesian migrant workers who were detained in various Malaysian immigration detention centers and those sheltered by the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur on April 13.
“They have served sentences in Malaysian prisons for immigration violations. They have to stay longer at the Immigration detention centers waiting for deportation,” stated the Foreign Ministry on Kemlu.go.id, Tuesday (18/4).
The purpose of the repatriation is to reduce the risks they face while in detention. Of the total 154 Indonesian citizens who were repatriated, 55 were women and 99 were men. Priority was also given to 11 elderly, 20 mothers and children, and 11 who are ill.
The repatriation was carried out before Eid to provide an opportunity for them to reunite with their families. The deportees came from various provinces in Indonesia, including North Sumatra, East Java, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) and West Java.
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Those who are sick were immediately sent to the National Police Hospital in collaboration with the Agency for the Protection of Migrant Workers (BP2MI). Meanwhile, those who are in good condition will be taken care by the Social Affairs Ministry’sTrauma Center, and then returned to their respective hometowns. (bp)