During the Covid-19 Pandemic, the Return of Migrant Workers Needs Strict Supervision

Badan Pelindung Pekerja Migran Indonesia (BP2MI) predicts that as many as 34,300 migrant workers will return home in the May-June 2020 period due to the expiration of contracts in their respective placement countries. The community also supports the Government’s policy of guarding the return of migrant workers who return to Indonesia in a strict and appropriate manner in anticipation of the surge in Covid-19 transmission.

We need to know that President Jokowi has ordered all his staff to be able to put a halt to the spread of the corona virus in Indonesia. Even the President also set a target to reduce Covid-19 transmission rates to end in May this year, so that in June it will enter a moderate position, and be in a mild position later in July.

Jokowi also invited the public and all levels of government to unite by mobilizing all energy and energy to control the spread of Covid-19 and the accompanying impact.

Based on data received by Jokowi, there are around 34 thousand Indonesian workers who want to go home in May and June due to the expiration of the employment contract.
It is known, they come from 7 provinces namely East Java with 8,900 people, Central Java with 7,400 people and West Java with 5,800 people.

In addition, there were also 4,200 people from West Nusa Tenggara. North Sumatra 2,800 people. Lampung 1,800 people and Bali as many as 500 people.

This certainly must be really anticipated, President Jokowi requested that their arrival process be prepared, then handle at the entrances and be followed by their movements to the regions.

For migrant workers returning by air, the government opened two return doors namely Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Tangerang and I Gusti Ngurah Rai, Denpasar.

Meanwhile, for migrant workers coming from Malaysia, the government prepares sea lanes with arrivals at the Port of Batam and Tanjung Balai, Riau Islands.
Then, President Jokowi also added that Migrant workers who work as cruise ship crews will arrive at Tanjung Priok Port, Jakarta and Benoa Bay Port, Bali. There are 17 ships ready to dock in the next two weeks with 12,578 ABK from Indonesia.

The President called on all relevant parties to impose strict health protocols on all Indonesian workers who have just arrived in the country. The former Surakarta Mayor also asked to ensure the readiness of quarantine and referral hospitals for migrant workers.

Previously, President Jokowi also mentioned that there were 5 clusters that could potentially spread Covid-19 domestically. The first cluster is migrant workers returning from abroad.

Coordinating Minister for PMK Muhadjir Effendy said, the need to increase quarantine places for Indonesian migrant workers or migrant workers returning during the Covid-19 pandemic.

On a different occasion, the Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Agency (BP2MI) said it was ready to anticipate the flow of returning Indonesian Migrant Workers (PM) to the country.
Head of BP2MI Benny Rhamdani stated, every time before Eid al-Fitr the return flow of migrant workers usually increases. Especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said, currently BP2MI has facilitated 126,742 PMI to the country from the return points, whether using land, sea or air transportation. In accordance with Regulation of the Head of BP2MI Number 3 of 2019 concerning technical guidelines for PMI-Troubled return services to the Region of Origin.

As a form of BP2MI’s real commitment to strengthen the work of UPT BP2MI as the vanguard of PMI return services, BP2MI provided assistance in the form of PPE, Masks, thermo gun.

This assistance is certainly very useful, and of course supports health protocols as long as PMI arrives in Indonesia.

PMI who have arrived in the country are certainly obliged to carry out quarantine independently and not leave the house for any purpose. Independent quarantine aims to reduce physical contact between himself and others.

So that close supervision of Indonesian migrant workers, it is necessary to involve local governments in their implementation