JAKARTA, RAKYAT NEWS – The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemlu) successfully evacuated 91 Indonesian citizens (WNI) from Syria, marking the latest wave of repatriations carried out on December 20-21, 2024.

This brings the total number of Indonesians evacuated from Syria to 156 in four separate waves since the beginning of the repatriation process.

According to a statement issued by the Ministry, the majority of those evacuated are migrant workers, students, and other citizens from various Indonesian provinces, including Aceh, North Sumatra, Jakarta, East Java, and West Nusa Tenggara.

The Indonesian nationals were first transported by land from Damascus, Syria, to Beirut, Lebanon, under strict supervision. From there, they were flown back to Indonesia in three separate airlifts.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, along with the Indonesian Embassy in Damascus, will continue to track and record any Indonesians who may still be in Syria and have not yet reported their whereabouts.

Indonesians currently residing in Syria are advised to stay informed about the security situation and take measures to ensure their safety. They are also urged to avoid involvement in any unnecessary political activities and to maintain communication with the Indonesian diplomatic mission in Damascus.

The Ministry further encourages the families of Indonesians still in Syria to provide information on their whereabouts via the Ministry’s Protection Directorate hotline (+62812-9007-0027) or the Indonesian Embassy in Damascus (+963-954-444-810).

As of December 16, at least 83 Indonesians had requested evacuation from Syria, suggesting that more repatriation efforts will continue in the near future. The previous wave of evacuations saw 65 Indonesians return, including 55 women and 10 men, with 47 of them being migrant workers.