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Rumor on bank balance requirement for passport applicants denied
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Struggle for life: Migrant workers from South Sulawesi and West Sulawesi, together with their children, disembark from a vessel at Tunon Taka Port in Nunukan regency, North Kalimantan, on March 6. (Antara/M. Rusman)
D
irectorate General of Immigration spokesperson Agung Sampurno has denied a rumor claiming that all new passport applicants must have Rp 25 million (US$1,877) in their bank accounts.
He acknowledged that the immigration office had issued a circular on March 6 that stipulated a bank balance requirement for passport applicants. However, the new regulation would be imposed only on Indonesia migrant workers who do not meet other requirements.
Agung said a worker who obtained a recommendation from the Manpower and Transmigration Ministry and the Agency for the Placement and Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (BNP2TKI) was not subject to the minimum bank balance requirement if he or she wanted to apply for a passport.
“The Rp 25 million bank balance is required for those strongly suspected to be non-procedural migrant workers. [Passport] applicants who have obtained employment status will not be asked to fulfill that requirement,” he told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.
Agung further explained that the policy was aimed at curbing the growing number of non-procedural workers to Malaysia and Middle Eastern countries.
“This is a preventive measure introduced by the immigration office in response to the growing incidences of human trafficking,” he said.
Data shows that since January, 2,000 Indonesian migrant workers have been deported from Johor after they were exploited by human trafficking syndicates. They faced discrimination such as much lower wages and suffered intimidation by their employers because they did not have proper documents. (dis/ebf)
