Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Coordinating Ministry for People's Empowerment is receiving and filtering suggestions from stakeholders in order to improve migrant workers placements and protection policies.
The ministry's deputy of coordination for people's economic empowerment and migrant workers' protection, Leontinus Alpha Edison, confirmed here on Monday that they are hosting a second workshop to garner inputs from migrant workers placement companies and training centers.
"The Coordinating Ministry for People's Empowerment has hosted workshops, consultations with civil organizations, and migrant workers' representatives in September and October 2025," Edison added.
Both workshops are part of an evaluation of Presidential Regulation No. 130 of 2024 on the governance of migrant worker placement and protection. The initiatives aim to support the formulation of more inclusive and effective regulations.
The evaluation indicates that structural challenges remain, including the practice of overcharging and non-procedural migration schemes, which increase migrant workers’ vulnerability to fraud and human trafficking.
Therefore, the regulation needs to be updated and adapted to the changing dynamics of the global labor market and aligned with the 2025–2029 National Medium-Term Development Plan.
According to Edison, migrant workers contributed Rp253.3 trillion in remittances to Indonesia. This significant contribution, he emphasized, must be matched by comprehensive governance that safeguards human dignity.
Involving migrant worker placement companies and training centers is crucial, as both have direct insight into operational realities, ranging from placement fees and training curricula to monitoring and law enforcement mechanisms.
One key issue identified is the placement fees charged by migrant worker placement companies, which often lead to overcharging practices.
Edison also noted that the workshops discussed the risk of human trafficking, which is exacerbated by weak cross-border monitoring.
"Other issues include the gap between competence and global certification, access to competence improvement, and procedural placement," he said.
