Riau to Establish Anti-Nonprocedural Migrant Workers Task Force

TheIndonesia.co - Riau Islands provincial government has expressed the intention to establish an anti-nonprocedural migrant workers task force to deal with the ongoing problem of illegal departure of Indonesian migrant workers (PMI).

Governor of Riau Ansar Ahmad said the unit will be tasked to enhance control and monitoring over the illegal ports that are often used by PMI to leave and return to Indonesia illegally.

“Not only to return from Malaysia, but a lot of PMI still leave through nonprocedural way,” Ahmad said in Tanjungpinang on Monday, January 3, as reported by Antara.

According to him, the task force will include the element of regional leadership coordination forum (Forkopimda) in the region.

Upon the creation, Ahmad said the task force is expected to closely guard the illegal ports within the regions as well as to eradicate the involvement of any state officials.

“It must be guarded, especially considering that indication that certain parties are involved in the matter,” the governor warned.

Previously, a boat carrying 60 PMI capsized in Johor Baru waters, Malaysia, on December 15 and killed 21 people.

Ten days later, the Indonesian embassy in Malaysia confirmed that another boat carrying 57 nonprocedural migrant workers from Indonesia also capsized in Malaysian waters. Four crew and 35 passengers were rescued, while others were presumed dead.