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Over 7,000 Indonesian Migrant Workers in Malaysia Waiting for Repatriation
Head of the Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Agency (BP2MI) Benny Rhamdani said his office had proposed to the Indonesian House of Representatives to bring home a total of 7,300 Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia by ship.
"I brought up the issue during a meeting with the parliamentarians that they [Indonesian migrant workers] should be brought home from Malaysia. They are our citizens that we need to protect," said Benny.
The workers, who are awaiting repatriatriation, were previously detained for having incomplete immigration documents and expired permits.
"As of June, there are 7,300 Indonesian migrant workers who must be repatriated after serving a period of immigration detention," Benny told Kompas.com, Monday, June 7, in Padang, West Sumatra. He added in the following month the number of migrant workers could increase.
"They are still waiting for the Malaysian court's decision. Next month, the number will certainly increase," said Benny.
Meanwhile, Suir Syam said that the House members had visited Malaysia and met with the Prime Minister of Malaysia to discuss the issue.
Suir Syam said that the House of Representatives had urged the government to repatriate the Indonesian migrant workers as soon as possible.