TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Govt repatriates 33 Indonesian workers from war-torn Syria
(Antara/Muhammad Deffa)The Indonesian Embassy (KBRI) in Damascus, Syria, has repatriated 33 Indonesian migrant workers (TKI) to the archipelago
Change Size
(Antara/Muhammad Deffa) (Antara/Muhammad Deffa)
(Antara/Muhammad Deffa)
The Indonesian Embassy (KBRI) in Damascus, Syria, has repatriated 33 Indonesian migrant workers (TKI) to the archipelago.
"It is the first repatriation to be conducted directly via Damascus International Airport since 2011," said KBRI Damascus spokesperson AM Sidqi in a press release on Tuesday as quoted by Antara news agency.
According to Sidqi, the airport has been closed due to conflict and thus the repatriation of Indonesian citizens from Syria for the past four years has been conducted through Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey.
He added that an escort was provided for the repatriation to ensure the process ran smoothly, especially during immigration check-ups at transit points.
The embassy also cooperated with related government institutions and the police to support the repatriation until the Indonesians had arrived safely in their respective regions.
Sidqi said that the embassy had repatriated 11,988 Indonesians from Syria in 265 phases since civil war erupted in the country in 2011.
At a temporary home in Damascus, there are still 55 Indonesians whose statuses are currently being contested, and several more TKI are reportedly still making their way there.
Since September 2011, the government has forbidden the sending of TKI to Syria and repatriated Indonesians from the country due to its worsening domestic security.
The government has declared that all TKI who entered Syria since the moratorium period began in September 2011 are victims of human trafficking.
"We are also hoping for support from Indonesian regional governments in handling the issue of human trafficking, since regions are the first point for recruitment of TKI," said Sidqi. (kes)(++++)
