The Central Lombok District Government is Spearheading Efforts to Promote Safe Migration

The Government of Indonesia has made efforts to transform the way in which the deployment and protection of migrant workers are managed; one breakthrough was achieved by passing Law No. 18/2017 regarding the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (UU PPMI) — which amends the earlier Law No. 39/2004. However, policy reform at the national level needs to be accompanied by local government initiatives to harmonise regional regulations; this principle forms the basis of MAMPU Partner Migrant Care’s migrant worker protection program. On 12 November 2019, Migrant Care held a seminar and workshop in Mataram, Nusa Tenggara Barat to inform participants about UU PPMI and to collect input from stakeholders regarding the formulation of implementing rules for the law.

Sixty participants representing various organisations and government agencies, including the Labour Ministry, District Government, civil society organisations, migrant workers, academics and law enforcement agencies produced a number of recommendations at the workshop. Participants recommended a clear division of roles between the provincial government, district government, and village government in providing for the protection of migrant workers. Cooperation and alignment between central and regional governments in terms of policies and management of protection systems are crucial for the implementation of UU PPMI. Some recommendations from the workshop included: 1) Disseminate information about relevant laws and safe migration to people at the village level, 2) Establish a one-stop integrated task force and service centre for prospective migrant workers, 3) Encourage the revision of local regulations related to migrant workers, and 4 ) Update data on migrant worker data.