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Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (IMW) in Saudi Arabia: developing model of protection in the view of bilateral relations

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The presence of Indonesian migrant workers (IMW) abroad has undeniably provided the Indonesian government with numerous benefits, including increased foreign revenue and a decrease in the unemployment rate. On the other hand, the government is required to provide protection for IMW in accordance with the constitution and as a foreign policy priority of Indonesia. The protection begins with recruitment and continues until IMW returns home. With approximately 665,552 Indonesian citizens living in Saudi Arabia in 2021, the domestic worker sector employs a significant proportion of women, a vulnerable group that requires comprehensive protection management

According to the Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Agency (BP2MI), there were 2,495 complaints in Saudi Arabia between 2019 and 2022, or more than 624 complaints per year, regarding unpaid salaries, immigration violations, physical and sexual violence, and significant criminal cases involving the death penalty (BP2MI, 2022). There are three major concerns regarding IMW: (1) the complexity of the IMW problem, (2) the moratorium on sending IMW to Saudi Arabia, and (3) the pilot project of a single-channel system for sending IMW to Saudi Arabia. I anticipate three future scenarios pertaining to this matter: (1) lifting the ban on sending IMW to Saudi Arabia; (2) strengthening the implementation of Law No. 18 of 2017 pertaining to the protection of IMW; and (3) enhancing the role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Indonesian Representatives in Saudi Arabia.

For addressing the issue of IMW, the author recommends 4 policy choices; First, immediate action policy by enhancing the capacity of the diplomats and labor attachés posted in Saudi Arabia. Second, short-term policy by establishing a collaborative (coordinating) committee comprised of units from relevant Indonesian ministries and institutions to coordinate and address the IMW issue. This committee could be in charge of recommending the best IMW policy. Third, medium-term policy by expanding bilateral cooperation between the Ministry of Manpower of Indonesia and the Ministry of Human Resource of Saudi Arabia into a joint initiative between the two relevant institutions in both countries. And fourth, long-term policy by developing a holistic partnership between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia by establishing a Consultative (Coordinating) Council led by the two heads of state to resolve the issue.

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Ketersediaan

2023-0079

Sesparlu 72-2023

Training Materials Repository

Tersedia

Informasi Detail

Judul Seri

-

No. Panggil

Sesparlu 72-2023

Penerbit

Jakarta : Kementerian Luar Negeri., 2023

Deskripsi Fisik

Digital File

Bahasa

English

ISBN/ISSN

-

Klasifikasi

NONE

Tipe Isi

text

Tipe Media

computer

Tipe Pembawa

online resource

Edisi

-

Subjek

-

Info Detail Spesifik

-

Pernyataan Tanggungjawab

UPT Sekolah Staf dan Pimpinan Luar Negeri

Versi lain/terkait

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