Indonesian migrant workers (Indonesian: Pekerja Migran Indonesia, PMI, formerly known as Tenaga Kerja Indonesia, TKI) are Indonesian citizens who work in countries outside of Indonesia.
Pekerja Migran Indonesia Tenaga Kerja Indonesia | |
|---|---|
| Total population | |
| 4.5 million (2014) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Malaysia | 107,085 |
 Taiwan | 68,874 |
 Saudi Arabia | 38,104 |
 Hong Kong | 30,208 |
 Singapore | 25,601 |
 United Arab Emirates | 15,276 |
| Languages | |
| Indonesian (national) Indonesian languages, Arabic, English | |
| Religion | |
| Islam (majority), Christianity | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Indonesians (Overseas Indonesians) | |
Indonesia's population is the world's fourth-largest, and due to a shortage of domestic jobs, many Indonesians seek employment overseas. These migrant workers are mostly low-skilled and work in the domestic sector. They are prone to exploitation, extortion, physical and sexual abuses and human trafficking.[1] Several cases of abuse have been reploted, some of which been picked up by international media.[2]
It is estimated that around 4.5 million Indonesians work abroad. Roughly 70 percent are women, most of whom are employed in domestic sector (as maid or domestic helpers) or in the manufacturing sector. Migrant Indonesian men mostly work on plantations, in the construction or transportation industries or in the service sector. Most Indonesian migrants are in their prime work years, between 18 and 35 years old. However, cases of underage workers attaining employment with the aid of falsified documents have been reported.[3]
Since 1969, the government of Indonesia has administered the recruitment of migrant labor.[4] The public program has attracted criticism, with opponents claiming it unduly elevates the rights of private recruitment agents over those of the migrant workers they recruit.
Statistics
editCurrently Malaysia employs the largest numbers of Indonesian migrant workers, followed by Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, and Singapore. It is important to note that these are official numbers, the actual numbers might be far larger contributed by unrecorded illegal entry of Indonesian workers into foreign countries.
Employer countries
edit| Country | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malaysia |
134,120 | 134,023 | 150,236 | 107,085 |
| Taiwan |
78,865 | 81,071 | 83,544 | 68,874 |
| Saudi Arabia |
137,835 | 40,655 | 45,394 | 38,104 |
| Hong Kong |
50,301 | 45,478 | 41,769 | 30,208 |
| Singapore |
47,786 | 41,556 | 34,655 | 25,601 |
| United Arab Emirates |
39,917 | 35,571 | 44,505 | 15,276 |
 Oman |
7,306 | 8,836 | 10,719 | 15,035 |
 South Korea |
11,392 | 13,593 | 15,374 | 9,623 |
 Brunei |
10,804 | 13,146 | 11,269 | 9,298 |
 United States |
13,749 | 15,353 | 15,021 | 7,839 |
 Qatar |
16,616 | 20,380 | 16,237 | 6,872 |
 Bahrain |
4,379 | 6,328 | 5,384 | 4,535 |
 Japan |
2,508 | 3,293 | 3,042 | 2,093 |
 Kuwait |
2,723 | 2,518 | 2,534 | 1,530 |
 Turkey |
1,016 | 1,209 | 1,518 | 1,155 |
 Italy |
3,408 | 3,691 | 3,746 | 1,075 |
 China |
1,072 | 1,967 | 2,055 | 812 |
 Fiji |
556 | 970 | 848 | 809 |
 Canada |
805 | |||
 Spain |
1,484 | 1,746 | 1,417 | 754 |
 Mauritius |
478 | 982 | 1,017 | 734 |
 Netherlands |
592 | 798 | 1,176 | 664 |
 Thailand |
1,113 | 1,035 | 1,041 | 597 |
 Germany |
299 | 697 | 1,168 | 518 |
 Australia |
526 | 945 | 1,012 | 441 |
 South Africa |
1,272 | 1,388 | 905 | 460 |
 Trinidad and Tobago |
481 |
- to 31 October
Job sector
edit| Employment type | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic Worker | 267,231 | 164,981 | 168,318 | 113,952 |
| Plantation Worker | 39,622 | 36,478 | 47,598 | 40,146 |
| Operator | 40,847 | 40,347 | 46,799 | 32,819 |
| Care Taker | 48,492 | 51,474 | 45,751 | 40,581 |
| Construction Worker | 5,625 | 11,141 | 15,580 | 6,779 |
| General Worker | 8,364 | 8,488 | 13,834 | 7,338 |
| Deck Hand | 4,509 | 12,283 | 11,249 | 8,904 |
| Worker (Man) | 33,398 | 17,030 | 9,249 | 2,041 |
| Able Body Seaman | 4,777 | 7,796 | 8,719 | 4,017 |
| Housekeepers | 14,643 | 16,006 | 8,301 | 4,759 |
| Operator Production | 1 | 1,913 | 5,856 | 6,244 |
| Labour | 17,098 | 19,493 | 5,854 | 4,270 |
| Fisherman | 4,371 | 5,213 | 5,559 | 3,988 |
| Driver | 0 | 974 | 4,746 | 6,945 |
| Production Operator | 3,745 | 5,163 | 4,664 | na |
| Gardener | 2,018 | 2,580 | 3,831 | 2,658 |
| Worker | 1,195 | 2,131 | 3,793 | 6,300 |
| Agricultural Labour | 6,814 | 3,201 | 3,604 | na |
| Waiter | 4,733 | 4,144 | 3,153 | 1,635 |
| Engineer | 2,339 | 2,939 | 3,115 | na |
- to 31 October
In popular culture
edit- Nadila, a character in Kakushigoto: My Dad's Secret Ambition, is an Indonesian migrant worker who works as a housekeeper in Japan.
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ Maksum, Ali; Surwandono (2017). "Suffer to Survive: The Indonesian Illegal Workers Experiences in Malaysia and Japan". Journal of Social Research & Policy. 8 (1): 101–123. Archived from the original on 20 June 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ Urbina, Ian (2019). "Ship of horrors: life and death on the lawless high seas". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 Sep 2019.
- ^ "Profil" (in Indonesian). Migrant Care. Retrieved 2014-11-26.
- ^ Palmer, Wayne (2016-08-25). Indonesia's Overseas Labour Migration Programme, 1969-2010. Brill. doi:10.1163/9789004325487. ISBN 9789004325487.
- ^ "25 Negara Terbesar Penempatan Tenaga Kerja Luar Negeri Indonesia Tahun 2011-2013" (PDF) (in Indonesian). BNP2TKI. p. 7. Retrieved 2014-11-26.
- ^ "25 Negara Terbesar Penempatan Tenaga Kerja Luar Negeri Indonesia Tahun 2014 (1 Januari s.d 31 Oktober 2014)" (PDF) (in Indonesian). BNP2TKI. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-05-25. Retrieved 2014-11-26.
External links
edit- Migrant Care NGO focused on migrant worker issues