JAKARTA | INDONESIA - Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI) do not need to worry about transportation restriction policies and domestic homecoming prohibitions related to the Covid-19 outbreak. This is because the government will provide the transportation needed to facilitate PMI who have decided to return to their hometowns.
The decision was taken in a cross-agency coordination meeting on Wednesday (29/4/2020), as stated by the Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Agency (BP2MI). "Hi #SobatMigran, in service for the Covid-19 pandemic, BP2MI continues to strengthen coordination in the framework of protecting Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI) with related Ministries / Institutions," wrote BP2MI on its official Facebook account.
The coordination meeting was chaired by the Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture of Indonesia, Muhadjir Effendy via a long-distance video connection. The meeting was attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno LP Marsudi, Minister of Manpower Ida Fauziyah, Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian, and Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi.
At the meeting which was also attended by the Spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, the Chief of General Staff of the TNI, and representatives of the National Police Headquarters, the Head of BP2MI Benny Rhamdani conveyed that there were obstacles in PMI's return from abroad, namely the limitation of domestic transportation modes, both land, sea and air. Meanwhile, international flights for returning Indonesian citizens, including PMI, will remain open.
"The Minister of Transportation, Budi Karya, explained that starting Monday (4/5/2020) the Ministry of Transportation will facilitate the provision of air, sea and land transportation for Indonesian citizens who have returned to their homeland, and suggested focusing on returning to 3 (three) airports. , namely Kualanamu Airport (Medan), Kertajati Airport (Majalengka), and Ngurah Rai Airport (Denpasar) during the Covid-19 pandemic, ”wrote BP2MI.
Even so, if PMI returns via Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Jakarta, the Ministry of Transportation will also provide transportation by train and bus to several areas of origin of PMI. Namely Semarang, Jogjakarta and Surabaya. For sea routes, it is focused on Batam port.
"BP2MI will continue to coordinate with related agencies in an effort to continue to provide good services in facilitating PMI's return," wrote the agency formerly known as BNP2TKI. [DDHKNews]
