SBY issues decree on migrant workers agency

JAKARTA: President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has issued a new instruction on the acceleration of national priorities, one of the clauses of which is aimed at empowering the National Agency for the Placement and Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (BNP2TKI).

“[Presidential Instruction No.14/2011] requests that we speed up the organization of a complete protection scheme for [Indonesian] migrant workers,” BNP2TKI deputy chief Lisna Poeloengan said on Tuesday, as quoted by kompas.com.

Lisna added that the instruction asked the agency to provide online protection, in the hope that this would allow the agency to better monitor migrant workers’ activities right from the start.

She added that the BNP2TKI was well connected, with 19 branch offices nationwide. The instruction also requires the agency to safeguard migrant workers during their deployment, and orders the prevention of any workers from being sent abroad without proper documents.