From economic pressure to an environment of family violence is often the reason for them to search for a new life in the hope of changing their fate. Some are also tempted by success stories of working abroad in a situation that promises a decent and adequate life. Unfortunately, not all have adequate education to support their dreams of achieving a better life. Those with only minimal education and experience often become victims of an individual illegally trespassing to other countries. As a result, a number of women workers have been abandoned, and some have been subjected to violence and became victims of human trafficking networks.
IO – This dreadful picture can be witnessed at the Indonesian Embassy Shelter in Malaysia. Women at various ages are accommodated there – many illegal workers who entered Malaysian territory with incomplete documents and were hence captured by Malaysian immigration officers. Others revealed that employer violence was the reason they finally fled from where they worked.
The unfortunate fate resulted from a major factor of minimum educational qualifications and lack of skills, as some of them are only elementary school graduates and hence easily face language constraints so they find it difficult to communicate with their employers.
The Indonesian Embassy shelter is intended for Indonesian citizens or migrant workers who are facing problems or are within the problem-solving process, in the hope of providing maximum protection.
Eventually, redefining the “instant-wealth” impression of working abroad is needed. Nobody changes their fate in a moment, as constant challenges will occur wherever you stand on achieving success. One of the keys is to prepare yourself with the special skills and most importantly to follow official government rules in order not to suffer any harm.
(Muhammad Adimaja)