About 351,000 Indonesian migrant workers have valid visas in the Middle East country (Photo: hejakartapost.com) Jakarta (VNA) – The Indonesian government haslifted a moratorium on sending Indonesian citizens to the Middle East asdomestic helpers but cautioned that those who take up offers of employmentin the region must follow the proper procedures to ensure they are fullyprotected.
Speaking in a press meeting, Manpower Minister IdaFauziyah said that the decision is intended to improve the governance andprotection of Indonesian migrant workers in the Middle East.
The minister emphasised that workers need to followthe procedures prescribed between the two countries as well as the laws of thehost country so that the government can protect workers during the process ofgoing to work until returning to Indonesia.
In 2015, Indonesia made it illegal for migrant workersto be sent to any of 19 Middle Eastern nations, including Saudi Arabia, theUnited Arab Emirates and Qatar, to work for individual employers, citing abusesthat workers had encountered there.
Themeasure came as several Middle Eastern countries have been accused of unfairlytreating migrant workers under the Kafala patronage system (the legal frameworkthat allows private citizens and companies in most Gulf states to enjoy near-total control over the employment and immigration status of foreignworkers).
The Kafala sponsorship system requires migrant workers to have a hostcountry sponsor, usually the employer, who is responsible for the migrantworker's visa and legal status. This means that employers can control themovement of workers - including entry, extension of stay, termination ofemployment and job transfer - powers that the International Labor Organization has warned that it is easy to turn into forced labor.
According to January 2023 data from the Saudi Arabia Foreign Ministry,about 351,000 Indonesian migrant workers have valid visas in the Middle Eastcountry, of them about 264,000 women./.
