ILO joins forces with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Manpower to strengthen the protection of Indonesian migrant workers in destination countries

Despite the enormous positive contribution of Indonesian women migrant workers to the national economy, many of them are still victimised abroad and they are unable to seek justice due to lack of information and access to legal aid services. Meanwhile, cases reported by women migrant workers tend to increase each year.

We really appreciate the partnership built with the ILO in equipping the Ministry of Manpower with training manual and in building the capacity of instructors to support the first academy for labour attachés. We are pleased to start the first regular mandatory labour attaché academy programme for newly recruited labour attachés."

Helmiaty Basri, Head of Ministry of Manpower’s Training Center

To strengthen governance and protection of Indonesian migrant workers in destination countries, the ILO and its International Training Centre (ITC) Turin, in partnership with the Training Centre of Ministry of Manpower and Ministry of Foreign Affairs conducted a tailored training programme, “Strengthening Foreign Service Officers and Labour Attachés Service for Better Governance and Protection of Migrant Workers”, last December. Started with one-month virtual training, the training was concluded with an offline four-day training from 4-7 December in Surabaya, East Java—one of the origin provinces of migrant workers in the country.

The training equipped 30 participants, of whom 50 percent were women, from across directorates of the two ministries with the capacities to design and deliver effective and engaging training on protecting migrant workers, particularly women migrant workers, with clear objectives and the appropriate learning interventions both online and offline. The training also enhanced the foreign service officers and labour attachés to provide more effective services better coordination with relevant host countries.

The training programme was followed with the study visit to Tulungagung district where the ILO in collaboration with the Ministry of Manpower, trade union confederation and women led-civil society organizations have established the Gender Responsiveness One Roof Integrated Services for Placement and Protection of Indonesia Migrant worker (One Stop Center LTSA-MRC). During the study visit, the delegations of the ILO, ITC Turin, and national authorities of the two ministries review and examine the current situation of prospective women migrant workers in the area, the available services and challenges faced.

The Tulungagung’s One Stop Centre was awarded with an Indonesian Migrant Worker award for providing the best labour migration services for Indonesian migrant workers in 2022 and 2023. The award was given by the Minister of Manpower, Ida Fauziyah during the commemoration of International Migrant Day.

The training proramme is very relevant and important in enhancing consular services and better governance in better protecting Indonesian migrant workers. We are going to adopt the training manual and methodology to our training programme and academy."

Mohammad Kurniadi Koba, Head of Training Center at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

In addition to Tulungagung, three integrated Migrant Worker Resources Centers are developed in Cirebon district in West Java, Blitar district in East Java and East Lampung district in Lampung. These programmes are supported by the ILO through its Safe and Fair Programme: Realizing women migrant workers’ rights and opportunities in the ASEAN, as part of the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative to eliminate violence against women and girls and to ensure safe and fair labour migration in the ASEAN region, including Indonesia.

“We really appreciate the partnership built with the ILO in equipping the Ministry of Manpower with training manual and in building the capacity of instructors to support the first academy for labour attachés. We are pleased to start the first regular mandatory labour attaché academy programme for newly recruited labour attachés,” stated Helmiaty Basri, Head of Ministry of Manpower’s Training Center.

Similarly, Mohammad Kurniadi Koba, Head of Training Center at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, conveyed his appreciated to the ILO support in the training to better equip the ministry’s foreign services officers. “The training proramme is very relevant and important in enhancing consular services and better governance in better protecting Indonesian migrant workers. We are going to adopt the training manual and methodology to our training programme and academy,” he added.