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Lawmakers consider amnesty for unregistered migrant workers
The House of Representatives is considering altering the 2017 Migrant Workers’ Protection Law to grant amnesty to both unauthorized migrant workers and the firms sending them overseas illegally, although experts say the plan will do little to solve the issues Indonesian migrant workers face.
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Indonesian migrant workers repatriated from Myanmar wait for an airport transfer upon their arrival at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, on Feb. 28, 2025. Eighty-four Indonesian migrant workers were repatriated from Myanmar through Thailand after they were found working in illegal cyber scam centers. (Antara/Putra M. Akbar)
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he House of Representatives is considering altering the 2017 Migrant Workers’ Protection Law to grant amnesty to both unauthorized migrant workers and the firms sending them overseas illegally, although rights group say the plan will do little to solve the issues Indonesian migrant workers face.
The amendment in question was initially proposed to officially change the name of the government institution overseeing migrant workers’ protection from the Agency for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (BP2MI) to the Migrant Workers Protection Ministry.
President Prabowo Subianto named National Awakening Party (PKB) politician Abdul Kadir Karding the first migrant workers minister shortly after coming into office in October of last year.
But the amendment may go beyond the ministry’s name change.
At a House Legislation Body (Baleg) meeting on Feb. 3, lawmakers discussed a proposal to protect unauthorized migrant workers from prosecution if they reported their status to the government. Corporations sending workers abroad illegally would also be eligible for protection from prosecution under similar conditions.
Baleg deputy chair Ahmad Doli Kurnia said the amnesty provision could help eliminate some of the legal challenges undocumented workers faced and open a path for them to receive government assistance.
“There are many alternative options, but whatever option taken should focus on protecting [workers],” Doli said.
