Jakarta (ANTARA) - Minister for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (P2MI), Abdul Kadir Karding, on Monday declared five villages in Gresik district as Golden Migrant Villages—Campurejo, Cangaan, Dalegan, Mentaras, and Ngemboh.
The minister formalized their designation by signing an inscription at the Wahana Ekspresi Pusponegoro Hall, Gresik, East Java, on Friday.
“We must protect them and ensure that those who wish to work abroad do so safely and securely,” Karding said afterward, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of P2MI here the same day.
He noted that a large number of residents of Gresik district are working abroad. Therefore, strengthening protection at the village level is crucial.
The establishment of Golden Migrant Villages is a strategic step to improve the labor migration ecosystem at the village level, while simultaneously preventing non-procedural or illegal migration practices, he said.
“The protection we’re implementing is to maximize our potential by consolidating all available resources to reduce the number of people working abroad illegally. This can only be achieved by improving the ecosystem in villages,” he explained.
He also urged the Gresik district government to design programs on migration for vocational schools and universities.
“Everyone working abroad must have skills, sufficient language skills, and a good mental attitude so they don’t cause problems in other countries,” he said.
In the meantime, Gresik Regent Fandi Akhmad Yani emphasized his region’s commitment to strengthening the protection of migrant workers.
Although Gresik is not the largest migrant worker enclave in East Java, the area has a fairly strong culture of migration, he said.
“We already have Regional Regulation No. 7 of 2022 and Regent Regulation No. 71 of 2024 concerning the protection of migrant workers,” he informed.
“This demonstrates the local government’s commitment to ensuring that migrant workers from Gresik are not exploited and that their rights are protected,” he added.
He also emphasized the importance of improving the competence and competitiveness of human resources before they start work overseas, including by providing language and skills training.
“There are many job opportunities abroad. We hope migrant workers from Gresik have the talent, skills, and abilities to secure good jobs abroad,” he said.
