JAKARTA, RAKYAT NEWS – Indonesia has called on Saudi Arabia to provide guarantees on fair wages and enhanced protection for its migrant workers before resuming the deployment of Indonesian workers to the Kingdom.

Minister of Migrant Worker Protection Abdul Kadir Karding stressed the importance of these assurances during a public dialogue held at the Ministry of Migrant Worker Protection’s office in Jakarta on December 17, 2024. This request follows a long-standing moratorium on sending Indonesian workers to Saudi Arabia, which has been in place since 2015.

Minister Karding highlighted two major concerns: wages and worker protection. Saudi Arabia has traditionally requested lower wages for Indonesian migrant workers compared to those from other countries. For instance, the Kingdom has been requesting a wage as low as $300 (approximately 5 million IDR) since 2015. Indonesia insists that fairer wage conditions must be in place before any recruitment can be resumed.

Another critical issue raised by Minister Karding is the protection of Indonesian workers in Saudi Arabia. He emphasized that protections should not only cover health care but also extend to the period after employment, particularly in the event of dismissal or mistreatment. The Indonesian government wants to ensure that workers are well-protected throughout their employment and beyond.

The Minister also proposed that Indonesian workers be employed through labor supply companies rather than directly under individual employers. This, he argued, would create a clearer and more accountable system, allowing the Indonesian government to hold companies responsible for the well-being of their workers. By involving third-party agencies, the government believes it would be able to better monitor and address any issues that arise during the workers’ employment.

In addition to these concerns, the Ministry of Migrant Worker Protection is seeking written feedback from organizations that advocate for migrant workers. These organizations will assess the potential reopening of recruitment to Saudi Arabia and evaluate the social impacts of such a move. The Indonesian government wants to ensure that the benefits of resuming the deployment of migrant workers outweigh any possible risks.

The number of Indonesian migrant workers in Saudi Arabia has sharply declined due to the moratorium. At its peak, there were about 2 million Indonesian workers in the Kingdom. However, following the ban, that number has dropped to around 100,000. Despite this reduction, the demand for migrant labor in Saudi Arabia remains high, with countries like India, Thailand, and the Philippines increasingly filling the gaps left by Indonesian workers.

The moratorium on Indonesian migrant workers was implemented in 2015 after reports of widespread abuse and mistreatment of workers in Saudi Arabia. A government decree formally suspended the recruitment of workers for individual employers in the Kingdom, aiming to protect Indonesian workers from exploitation. The government has emphasized that any resumption of worker deployments will require strong assurances of their safety and rights.

As the Indonesian government evaluates the possibility of resuming labor migration to Saudi Arabia, it remains focused on ensuring that the rights of workers are fully protected while also considering the economic benefits. Minister Karding concluded that any decision to lift the moratorium will depend on clear commitments from Saudi Arabia regarding both fair wages and worker protection, as these are non-negotiable prerequisites for Indonesia to resume sending its workers to the Kingdom. (Uki Ruknuddin)

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