BP2MI Confirms 241 Victims of Trafficking Repatriated from Cambodia

TheIndonesia.id - The Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Board (BP2MI) confirmed that 241 Indonesian migrant workers (PMI) had been repatriated after allegedly becoming victims of trafficking Cambodia.

Head of BP2MI Benny Rhamdani said since repatriation effort started earlier this month, in total, there are 241 PMI who have returned to Indonesia.

“Currently, we have repatriated Indonesian citizens or Indonesian migrant workers from Cambodia who allegedly became victims of trafficking through online scam. They were repatriated gradually in four batches,” Rhamdani said on Tuesday, August 23, as reported by Antara.

Previously, the Indonesian government repatriated 12, 13, and 14 people on August 5, 6, and 8, respectively.

And on August 22, 202 Indonesians returned to Indonesia.

The majority of them are from North Sumatra (129 individuals), followed by West Java (24), East Java (14), Central Java (13), Jakarta (11), and West Kalimantan (10).

There are also workers from Bali (nine), Riau Islands (nine), Riau (five), Banten (five), West Sumatra (three), Lampung (two), South Sulawesi (two), West Nusa Tenggara (one), Bangka Belitung (one), and South Sumatra (one).

Meanwhile, BP2MI has yet to identify the origin of two other people.

Those who were repatriated in the first three batches have been assessed by the police, and they will return to their respective hometowns.

Rhamdani said BP2MI received information from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on August 22 about the departure of 645 Indonesians to Cambodia from Kualanamu International Airport in North Sumatra and Soekarno-Hatta in Banten using chartered planes.

BP2MI collaborated with North Sumatra Police, immigration office, and local manpower office and managed to prevent the departure of 215 Indonesian citizens from Kualanamu airport.

Rhamdani lastly revealed that five individuals have been named as suspects in the trafficking in persons (TIP) case.