Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia is ready to lift its moratorium on migrant worker placements in Saudi Arabia, which will serve as a test ground for sending workers to more Middle Eastern countries.
During a meeting with the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs in Jakarta on Tuesday, Migrant Worker Protection Minister Abdul Kadir Karding emphasized the need to ensure the protection of women workers and their children, which is a serious concern, before sending them to Middle Eastern countries.
Therefore, the Indonesian government has sought assurances from the Saudi government regarding better worker protection.
As a result of negotiations with the Saudi government, migrant workers will now receive a guaranteed minimum salary of 1,500 Saudi Riyals, or around Rp7.5 million, he informed.
Additionally, they will be provided enhanced protections related to health, life insurance, and employment. The integration of data systems will also help the government to monitor workers recruited through unofficial channels.
The minister further said that each Indonesian worker who completes a two-year contract will receive a bonus from the Saudi government to perform Umrah.
If the memorandum of understanding (MoU) is signed as scheduled in March 2025, the placement of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia is expected to resume by June at the latest, he added.
In addition, Minister Karding also described the lifting of the moratorium on worker placements in Saudi Arabia as a momentum for plans to resume sending workers to other Middle East countries, such as the United Arab Emirates, where similar protection issues led to a placement moratorium.
The government is currently evaluating a regulation concerning the termination of and prohibition on the placements of Indonesian migrant workers with individual employers in countries in the Middle East region, he added.
