Sari P. Setiogi and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Indonesian representative offices in several foreign countries are sheltering 1,138 migrant workers with a variety of problems, many of which have not been addressed.
Foreign minister Hassan Wirajuda said on Wednesday 11 representative offices were now housing migrant workers in Malaysia, Singapore, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, adding that there were a great burden on the embassies' budget.
""In Kuwait alone, we spent no less than US$125,000 in extra budget last year to accommodate the problematic migrant workers,"" Hassan said in his keynote speech during a national dialog on protection of migrant workers' human rights here.
There were 998,228 registered Indonesian migrant workers spread around several countries as of December 2003.
Hassan said his ministry shared the blame for the lack of protection for Indonesian migrant workers, as many diplomats had not provided adequate treatment for the migrant workers.
""A change in the corporate culture is needed to create a friendly representative for Indonesian citizens abroad,"" he said.
The minister also said the ministry did not have the budget to provide local attorneys and sufficient accommodation for the troubled migrant workers.
Hassan emphasized that there needed to be revisions of domestic policies because the power to regulate and recruit migrant workers was totally controlled by just one institution.
He was likely referring to the manpower ministry, which not only draws up regulations regarding the export of workers, but is allowed to recruit them and prepare them for their placement overseas.
""In the Philippines, exporting and sending migrant workers home are conducted under one roof but, outside the labor ministry,"" said Hassan.
In a bid to protect more migrant workers, the government will sign the United Nations Convention on the Protection of Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families during the annual UN general assembly in New York at the end of this month.
""It will be part of our efforts to strengthen our legal infrastructure,"" said Hassan, who will represent Indonesia at the UN meeting.
Meanwhile, President Megawati Soekarnoputri is slated to meet Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to discuss the Indonesian illegal migrants issue, on the sidelines of their visit to Bandar Seri Begawan to attend the Brunei Crown Prince Muhtadee Billah Bolkiah wedding reception.
""On our side we would like to express appreciation for Malaysia's understanding and their agreement to delay the mass deportation until next year,"" said Hassan.
The two leaders will also discuss common measures in the mass deportation process, including a sort of sensitivity course for the Malaysian volunteers who are involved in the deportation process.
""The volunteers are expected to visit Indonesia before the deportation, so they can see how we would handle such a problem,"" Hassan said.
The discussion would substitute the annual consultation meeting between the leaders of the two countries. Indonesia should have hosted the meeting this year, but it was canceled due to elections.
