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March 18, 2025 | 11:58 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian government is discussing a plan to lift the moratorium on sending Indonesian workers to Saudi Arabia. The Minister of the Indonesian Migrant Worker Protection (P2MI), Abdul Kadir Karding, stated that this decision was made after the assurance of protection for Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI) and better wages from the Saudi Arabian Kingdom.
The moratorium has been in place since 2015. This policy was enforced due to the illegal smuggling of approximately 25,000 workers to Saudi Arabia each year. Now, the moratorium will be lifted and cooperation with Saudi Arabia will be resumed due to the change in leadership with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) promising protection for PMI.
"We are aware that Saudi Arabian protection has been very minimal. We placed the moratorium because of lacking protection. Under the new King MBS, their protection is much better, so we are moving forward," Karding said during a press conference at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Friday, March 14, 2025, as quoted from Antara.
President Prabowo Subianto has approved this decision. In his statement, Prabowo agreed considering the potential for Indonesian migrant workers in Saudi Arabia to generate foreign exchange entering Indonesia, reaching Rp31 trillion.
"He (President Prabowo) alhamdulillah agreed and asked us to prepare the training scheme and placements. We will report to him again on the plans we have arranged," Karding said.
Reasons to Lift the Moratorium
The lifting of this moratorium is not without reason. Since the introduction of the moratorium in 2015, the primary concern is to protect Indonesian workers. This has been discussed with the Saudi Arabian government, which has committed to improving protection for Indonesian workers.
Based on negotiations with the Saudi Ministry of Labor, migrant workers will receive a minimum wage guarantee of 1,500 Saudi Riyals, equivalent to Rp7.5 million. In addition, workers will also receive health, life, and employment protection. The government will also ensure data integration to monitor workers recruited illegally.
Karding also stated that every Indonesian worker who has completed a two-year work contract will have the opportunity for the Umrah pilgrimage as a bonus from the Saudi Arabian government, "Another interesting thing is that once the two-year contract is completed, Indonesian workers will be given a bonus Umrah trip," he said.
The signing of the MoU or memorandum of understanding with the Saudi Arabian government in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, this March, will mark the lifting of the moratorium. Through this cooperation, it is promised that at least 600,000 workers will be sent and placed in Saudi Arabia. The sending of migrant workers will consist of at least 400,000 domestic workers and 200,000-250,000 formal workers, and the placement of these workers is estimated to be no later than June this year.
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