National News - June 26, 2007
Jakarta — The government gave its assurance Monday that Indonesian migrants working illegally in Saudi Arabia would not be subject to a mass deportation by the Saudi government but rather to a staggered repatriation process.
Manpower and Transmigration Minister Erman Suparno said the Saudi Arabian government has pledged to find an amiable solution to the thousands of Indonesian migrants working illegally in the country.
"I can assure you that there will be no acts of (mass) deportation against 40,000 of our workers there," Erman told reporters prior to a Cabinet meeting at the Presidential Office.
He said the Saudi government would not resort to mass deportation, but would rather implement a staggered process.
Erman recently returned from Saudi Arabia after discussions with Saudi officials on measures to deal with the illegal migrants apprehended by authorities there.
He said the Saudi government agreed to repatriate the illegal migrant workers to Indonesia in stages, the cost of which would be footed by the Saudis.
Erman said that of the 1.2 million Indonesians working in the Middle Eastern country, only 473 had brushed with the law, mostly for overstaying their visas.
Many illegals traveled to the country to perform the haj pilgrimage, though used this as a subterfuge to prolong their stays.
Earlier reports have claimed that an estimated 40,000 Indonesians working illegally in Saudi Arabia would face deportation after concluding their prison terms.
The planned deportation is part of the country's plan to crack down on illegal migrant workers as of June 1 this year.
Saudi immigration authorities asked foreign illegals to leave the country by the May 31 deadline or face a 100 Saudi real (US$26.6) fine and six-month prison term prior to deportation.
Most Indonesians currently in Saudi Arabia work as housemaids, drivers, gardeners and machine operators at mining sites in the wealthy Middle Eastern kingdom. Some 40,000 have either overstayed their visit or lack the requisite documents to continue their stays.
A black market of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia is one of the many causes for the Indonesians lacking documentation after having run away from their agents.
To aid illegal migrant workers with their repatriation, the Saudi government, in collaboration with the Indonesian Embassy in Riyadh, has set up a one-stop service.
"This will help them with their papers and documents. Also, this will help them collect their unpaid salaries," Erman said.
M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post
