Indonesian Migrant Gives Speech at UN Summit

Jakarta, (Antara) - Indonesian migrant Eni Lestari has delivered a speech at the UN Summit in New York.

According to information received by Antara on Tuesday, Eni spoke about migrant workers and refugees who, even after many years, are not acknowledged by their adopted countries.

She said the United Nations and the world has become concerned about the issue of migrants. Eni asked all countries to provide priority to justice and the protection of migrant workers, and not to destroy migrants' families in the name of development.

Eni also said the government should build a future by relying on the strength of their people and by not exploiting migrant labor.

In addition, Eni criticized the government for taking advantage of the vulnerability of migrant workers through rules that exploit and strengthen the non-existence of migrant workers, noting that migrant workers are often considered a security threat.

Meanwhile, Network Coordinator of Indonesian Migrant Workers (JBMI) Sringatin praised Eni¿s speech at the United Nations.

"We know it is not easy to be elected as speaker and represents the voice of 244 million migrants in the world. It should be a long struggle and continuously, so that our voices can be conveyed by ourselves and be heard directly by the government," said Sringatin.

Sringatin explained that the short message by Eni has represented the demands of migrants around the world.

"What it conveys is true and we are witnesses of injustice, violence and exploitation that we see and feel every day," she said.

She expects, with this momentum, that the Indonesian government should be more open, listen to the demands of migrants, and immediately take strategic steps to fix the problems of Indonesian migrant workers by ensuring a fair system and strong protection for their citizens.(*)