Two years Prabowo-Gibran: RI strengthens protection of citizens abroad

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2 hours ago

These government efforts need to be accompanied by public awareness and vigilance by following official instructions and advisories..

Jakarta (ANTARA) – As President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka enter the second year of their administration, the protection of Indonesian citizens (WNI) abroad remains one of the government’s key priorities.

International relations analyst at Budi Luhur University Andrea Abdul Rahman Azzqy said the strengthening of protection efforts was marked, among other things, by a shift in the paradigm toward institutionalizing citizen protection.

The paradigm shift was particularly marked by the establishment of the Ministry of Migrant Worker Protection (KP2MI), which aims to streamline bureaucratic processes that have previously overlapped between the Foreign Ministry’s diplomatic and regulatory functions and labor-related affairs.

“Protecting Indonesian citizens is no longer merely a fire-fighting instrument used when a crisis occurs, but has been elevated into an institutionalized protection system,” he said recently.

With the establishment of KP2MI, the government’s protection efforts are no longer limited to vulnerable domestic workers, but have also expanded their legal coverage to protect highly skilled members of the Indonesian diaspora around the world.

“This is a highly adaptive form of modern diplomacy and a long-awaited breakthrough,” Azzqy said.

At KP2MI, the protection ecosystem involves not only preventing and arresting individuals seeking to illegally send prospective Indonesian migrant workers (CPMI) abroad, but also rescuing CPMI from potential exploitation and human trafficking.

Protection efforts are also carried out through cooperation with various stakeholders, ranging from village and provincial governments to universities, ministries, and relevant agencies, to educate the public on the importance of working abroad through legal and procedural channels.

In relation to these protection efforts, Minister of Migrant Worker Protection Mukhtarudin said in September that the government continued to promote a shift in the placement of Indonesian migrant workers (PMI) from low-skilled jobs toward medium- and high-skilled employment.

The move aims to improve migrant workers’ skills, giving them stronger bargaining power as well as better guarantees of safety and protection. KP2MI also cooperated with the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs to take down 7,907 illegal pieces of content advertising fake overseas job vacancies, accounting for around 75.3 percent of the 10,504 reports received between January and August 31, 2026.

During the same period, KP2MI recorded 6,668 cases of illegal departures that were prevented and 2,208 complaints from migrant workers that were handled. The measures were aimed at preventing illegal recruitment and the non-procedural placement of migrant workers, which could leave them vulnerable to exploitation and other risks.

KP2MI also recorded enforcement measures against 20 problematic Indonesian Migrant Worker Placement Companies (P3MI) and the operation of 17 active shelters to protect migrant workers requiring emergency assistance.

Foreign Ministry at the forefront

In fact, the Foreign Ministry also remains at the forefront of protecting Indonesian citizens and migrant workers abroad, said International Relations Analyst at President University Teuku Rezasyah.

He said various digital services operated by the Foreign Ministry had been effective in providing information needed by Indonesian citizens, including updates on security conditions in their countries of residence.

Rezasyah also highlighted the active role of Indonesian diplomatic missions abroad in strengthening efforts to protect Indonesian citizens.

“The Foreign Ministry is at the forefront of protecting sovereignty. It is among the few ministries that have a deep understanding of the Constitution,” he said recently.

Over the past year, the Foreign Ministry’s Directorate for the Protection of Indonesian Citizens (PWNI) has continued to strengthen measures to protect Indonesians abroad, ranging from monitoring conditions and early detection to coordination with local authorities, legal and consular assistance, and the evacuation and repatriation of Indonesians in emergency situations.

PWNI Director Heni Hamidah said that when extreme weather hit the Netherlands in January 2026, the Foreign Ministry, through the Indonesian Embassy in The Hague, responded to snow and icy conditions by closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with local authorities.

The embassy also urged Indonesian citizens and members of the Indonesian diaspora to monitor weather information from local authorities, limit non-essential travel, and contact emergency services when necessary. The embassy also opened a hotline to ensure that Indonesians could receive assistance promptly.

Meanwhile, following the hijacking of the fishing vessel IB FISH 7 (Liang Peng Yu 828) in the waters off Ekwata, Gabon, in January, protection efforts focused on rescuing Indonesian nationals serving as crew members. Of the vessel’s 12 crew members, nine were abducted, including four Indonesians.

Following the report, the Foreign Ministry, through the Indonesian Embassy in Yaounde, coordinated with Gabonese authorities, the vessel’s company and agent, and other relevant parties to accelerate the rescue efforts, obtain information on the condition of the Indonesian crew members, and ensure that their employment rights and those of their families were protected.

In February, the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore also handled a traffic accident that killed a six-year-old Indonesian child. The embassy assisted the family from the day of the incident, provided support, and coordinated with the hospital and local authorities.

The embassy also ensured that administrative procedures, particularly those related to the repatriation of the victim’s remains, were properly handled. The remains were repatriated to Indonesia on February 8, 2026.

Anticipating security developments in the Middle East in February, the Indonesian Embassy in Tehran also continued to monitor the security situation and maintain active communication with Indonesian citizens.

Although there had been no reports of Indonesians facing direct threats, the embassy advised Indonesians to consider leaving Iran independently if conditions in their areas became unsafe. The embassy also prepared contingency plans, including various evacuation route options should the situation deteriorate.

Following US and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28, 2026, the Foreign Ministry’s PWNI Directorate intensified coordination with all Indonesian diplomatic missions in the Middle East to update data on the number of Indonesian citizens, assess conditions on the ground, and map out measures that had been and would be taken.

Indonesian missions also strengthened communication with Indonesian communities and Indonesian citizen and migrant worker networks and prepared several options to respond to emergency situations.

The Foreign Ministry also ensured that Indonesians had access to the PWNI Directorate’s hotline and the nearest Indonesian diplomatic mission.

The government subsequently stated that its moratorium on the placement of Indonesian domestic migrant workers in several Middle Eastern countries remained in effect.

According to data from Indonesian diplomatic missions as of February 28, 2026, there were 519,042 Indonesians living in several countries across the region. The moratorium was one of the government’s preventive measures while it reviewed and discussed arrangements with partner countries to strengthen the governance and protection system for Indonesian migrant workers.

In March 2026, the Indonesian Consulate in Songkhla, Thailand, also provided legal assistance and protection to 19 Indonesian fishing vessel crew members detained by Thai authorities during an operation against suspected illegal fishing in waters off Phuket. One of the 19 Indonesians was a 16-year-old minor.

The Indonesian Consulate in Songkhla immediately visited the Indonesians, provided logistical assistance, and coordinated with Thai authorities to ensure that legal proceedings followed due process, particularly in handling an underage crew member.

Meanwhile, in Saudi Arabia, the Indonesian Consulate General in Jeddah handled a bus fire involving 24 Indonesian citizens performing Umrah while traveling from Makkah to Madinah. All of the pilgrims were evacuated safely and suffered no injuries.

The consulate coordinated with the travel agency and Saudi authorities to ensure follow-up measures, including efforts to secure compensation for the pilgrims’ luggage and belongings that were destroyed in the fire.

In April, protection efforts was also evident in the response to a disaster in Sandakan, Malaysia, on April 20. The Foreign Ministry, through the Indonesian Consulate General in Kota Kinabalu and the PWNI Directorate, monitored and assisted Indonesian citizens affected by a major fire in Batu Sapi, Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia.

The measures included coordinating with local authorities to obtain data on affected Indonesians, directly monitoring conditions on the ground, assisting displaced people and distributing aid, and preparing to facilitate immigration documents for Indonesians who had lost important documents.

A follow-up assessment on April 21 identified 13 affected Indonesians. All were safe and accommodated at six temporary shelters.

Also on April 20, the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo responded to a tsunami warning in Aomori, Iwate, and parts of Hokkaido, Japan, by contacting Indonesian community networks and urging Indonesians to follow instructions from local authorities and activate emergency communications.

Most recently, in September, the Foreign Ministry, through the Indonesian Embassy in Bangkok, continued to monitor flooding in Bangkok and surrounding areas and ensure the safety of Indonesians in Thailand.

The various measures undertaken by KP2MI and the Foreign Ministry’s PWNI Directorate demonstrate the government’s continued efforts to strengthen protection measures to ensure the safety and welfare of Indonesian citizens abroad.

These government efforts need to be accompanied by public awareness and vigilance by following official instructions and advisories, complying with local regulations, and seeking necessary information to protect themselves from potential security risks.