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NEVER ENDING STRUGGLE The Conditions of Indonesian Migrant Workers Jl. Jaya Mandala II No. 14E Menteng Dalam, Jakarta Selatan 12870 Tel : +62 21 829 2776 / Fax : +62 21 837 83648 www.tifafoundation.org

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INTRODUCTION

Migration is one of important issue in the globalised world and global economy of our time. Each year, millions of men and women leave their homes and cross national borders —legally and illegally—for higher wages and better opportunities. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and International Labor Organization (ILO) respectively estimates there are around 180 millions of the world's population working overseas and around 120 million migrant workers and their families.

After the Philippines and Sri Lanka, Indonesia is the major source of female migrant workers in Asia. Many are unskilled workers working in the area of service, particularly domestic workers. The National Agency for Protection and Monitoring of Indonesian Migrant Workers (BNP2TKI) has estimated around 6 millions of Indonesian citizensis working overseas. It does not include of those who are illegally smuggled through the borders, or who are working without proper documents. The driving forces are varies, but mostly as a way out of debt, poverty and unemployment in the village. In sum, they are the backbone of another 30 million of lives living at home.

Although majorities of them are categorically low-skilled workers, the contribution they made to the national economy, especially the local economy where they came from, is believed to be substantial. In 2008, the level of remittance they made contributedto 0.7% of Indonesian GDP and occupies the second largest of Indonesian foreign revenue after oil and gas. It also constitutes 50% of the country's Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

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For migrant workers families, Internet communication provides new dimension of communication. They are now able to communicate with their relative abroad with less expensive modes of communication for frequent contacts. A mother was alerted when she saw 'a new look' of her son with a long hair through Video Conference.

In the area of program, additional activities, such as 'Neighborhood Discussion', was organized and found an enthusiastic respond from the villagers. Beyond the need to address a variety of communication barriers for migrant workers and their families at home, educational information for migrant workers, the program also encouraged villagers not only to consume, but also produce relevant information through the initiative of citizen journalism in this area.

Without any doubt, high capital and operating costs as well as slow connection line from Internet Service Provider are among many problems that hindered the development of advanced communication technology in rural areas. But, a handful of subsidized and supported pilot project in Cilacap was expected to help get large numbers of rural communities on the Internet and opening up new world that the villagers had never known before.

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Training on Financial Management System Studies on remittance have showed the high level of consumption among the migrant workers in terms of spending.

Saving and investment was rare. Education on financial management for migrant workers and their family was therefore important on this regard.

In 2009, Tifa supported the initiative of its partner (MICRA) to develop training module regarding basic financial management for migrant workers. It consisted of six training items dealing with financial planning, saving, understanding of financial products as well as remittance service. The module was also provided with simple manual for trainers, so ordinary people in the village can use it.

This module was tested in PT Barfo Mahdi Training Workshop (migrant workers agency) and found enthusiastic respond from the workers. This was then followed by training of trainers involving 40 representatives from four districts in Sumbawa, Lombok Timur, Kupang and Flores Timur. It was expected from this training that they would be able to provide similar training for prospective migrant workers and their families in respective areas.

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Ironically, the protection they have was not equal with the contribution they have made. As many of Indonesian migrant workers are domestic workers, they are among the most vulnerable workers in the worlds. They are exposed to physical and sexual harassment, violence and abuse in some cases, and must perform excessive hours of work with low wages without adequate health insurance in many cases. In short, they are subjected to the conditions of modern slavery and forced labor.

This document highlights various issues regarding Indonesian migrant workers. The stories presented here is only a small section of the whole problem based on the experience of Tifa Foundation intervention program to protect and advocate the cause of Indonesian migrant workers. It covers the periods of engagement with Indonesian NGOs and Civil Society Organizations between 2004 till 2009.

Globalization, Migration and Cheap Labor The history of labor migration in Indonesia can be traced back to the nineteenth century when the country was under the reign of Dutch colonial power. The story begun in 1887 when the Dutch colonial regime sent thousands of Javanese peas3

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ants as contract laborers in their new colony in Suriname, New Caledonia, Siam and Sarawak. Successive migrations then followed to keep pace with continuing demand of contract laborers for plantations developments in those colonies.

The pattern was brokenwith the coming of Japanese invaders and the coming of new Indonesian Republic in 1945.

It has to wait for the next three decades until the mid of 1970s when unemployment and poverty in the rural areas pushed villagers to find other means of subsistence: migration.

In 1974, sixteen thousands of Indonesian male and female went abroad to find jobs that their countries could not give. They became the first generation of migrant workers which marked the new kind of economic activities to the present. In June 2009, according to the National Statistical Bureau, there are around six millions of Indonesian citizens working in 41 countries. Among them, 4.5 millions was officially registered and documented while another 1.5 millions is finding their way through unofficial channels and thus officially unregistered.

Majorities of them are semi-skilled and un-skilled workers working for informal sectors in the labor market of industrial countries, such as plantations, constructions, food processingand electronic manufactures sectors. Yet, the trend for jobs in these sectors is steadily decreasing every year, but still it constitutes the majority proportion for Indonesian migrant workers. According to the data released in 2007, out of 700,000 migrants, 72% are working for informal sectors. In 2008, the figures reduced to 64% out of 750,000 migrants working overseas.

Since the most popular jobs are nursing, baby-sitters and domestic workers, they are highly vulnerable from various abuses. The main consequences are low-level of protection and

and they asked the CTC officer to teach them to operate it.

Internet access (especially latest technology of video-conference) is to a certain extent becomea helpful tool to reduce isolation, provide educational and economic opportunities for the rural communities. The partnership between Tifa and Microsoft was the first effort to make the new technology of virtual world visible in rural areas, and of course, for the migrant workers and their families. This is now become a systematic agenda of Community to Community (or CTC) program.

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and gender issues for regional conference on migrant workers.

Lastly, the capacity building section focused on improving the capacity of Indonesian NGOs working on migrant workers issues as well as capacity building agenda for migrant workers organizations in Singapore.

In a year, this working group successfully achieved their mission. The death penalty revoked, the published research helped to improve the attitude of Indonesian embassy in Singapore, by providing better shelter, hotlines, and coordination with the local police.

The Singaporean government has also made a major progress regarding migrant workers issue. The government amended the criminal law that makes heavier penalties for abusive practice of the employers. They also improved the contract system by providing better system for working permit, the rights for holiday, a random monitoring of Singaporean who employed domestic helpers. In addition to this process, the government has also raised the standard of education of migrant workers (the minimum is Junior High School graduates).

Other achievement of this working group was the formation of migrant workers organization network in Singapore: Indo Family Network. The member of this network involves migrant workers from four different communities in Singapore.

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1,5 hours to go there. But it was five years ago. On Feb. 16, 2009, for the first in time in his life he made Video Conference via Internet.

It hosted discussion involving Tifa Officers (Renata Aryaningtyas), Microsoft (SitaSupomo) and to migrant workers in Hongkong (Fitri and Mimie) and thus marked the first launching of the so-called Community to Community (CTC) program between Tifa Foundation and Microsoft in Indonesia. The local officials who were present in the in the launching were amazed,

guarantees of their rights, underpaid jobs and minimum right for leaves, vacation and health insurance in the workplace as well as vulnerable to physical and psychological abuses.

Working Group For Migrant Workers Type of Abuses

To deal with the complexity of problems related to migrant workers issues, Tifa initiated an agenda to consolidate and coordinate advocacy works among NGOs and CSOs on this issue. From November 2003 to June 2004, Tifa facilitated a series of meetings to consolidate NGOs and CSOs activities related to migrant workers issues. The result was a working group to improve the effectiveness of their campaign and advocacy on migrant workers rights (Forum Kerja untuk Keadilan PRT-Migran or FOKER), especially for those working as domestic helpers. The common program for this working group are: 1) database development; 2) campaign for migrant worker's rights; 3) policy advocacy, 4) organization and 5) capacity building.

The first agenda for FOKER was advocacy for the improvement of migrant workers conditions in Singapore. The working group on data collection and information system then conducted research on the cycle of migration covering recruitment, training and pre-departure process in Jakarta and the working conditions in Singapore. At the same time, working group for policy advocacy concentrated their activities for campaign against the death sentence of five Indonesian migrant workers. The organization section of the working group proceeded with the formulation of common platform for migrant workers organizations on justice

The BNP2TKI report issued by Data and Information Training Centre has stated during the year of 2008, they received 45,626 complaints, which was slightly reduced compared to the 53,843 complaints in 2007. The biggest complaints came from Saudi Arabia with 22,035 complaints in those years. The Indonesian government might claim their successful efforts on this regard, but the number was still relatively high in comparative terms with other countries.

If we take a look further to the complaints reported, the pattern of violation was clear enough. The variation range from late and unpaid salary, physical abuses, sexual harassment, broken agreement on the type of jobs provided, (PT problems), incomplete documents, unilateral termination of working periods, crimes, death and failed embarkation.

The UN Road Map (A Guide for the International Human Rights System and Other Mechanism (CHRF), 2005) has clearly indicated cycle of major of violations experienced by Asian

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TYPES OF VIOLATIONS EXPERIENCED

BY ASIAN MIGRANT WORKERS

Against Death Penalty In 2004, five Indonesian female migrant workers were implicated in murder case with maximum sentence to death in Singaporean court. They are Sundarti Supriyanto, Sumiyati Karyodikromo, Siti Aminah from East Java province; Purwanti Parji from Central Java and Juminem from Lampung. The threat of death sentence seemed to complete the story of 98 deaths of female Indonesian migrants in Singapore due to illness, suicide and accidents.

The nationwide campaigns against the sentence were organized as a response. Indonesian NGOs and CSOs lobby the government and parliament to intervene of Singaporean court verdict. It involved Social Analysis and Research Institute (SARI), the Joint Secretariat of Women Yogyakarta (SBPY) and RumpunTjoetNjakDien Yogyakarta), and a working group coordinated by Migrant Care.

The Commission IX of House of Representative summoned the Ministry of Labor for hearing and proposed further investigation the performance of Indonesian embassy in Singapore in handling this case.

By 5 September 2009, the Singaporean court verdict stated that Sundaryati Supriyanto, Purwanti Parji and Sumiyati Karyodikromo escaped the death sentence, while Juminem and Siti Aminah were sentenced for 10 years and life in prison.

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Help-Desk in the Airport The arrival gate in the airport, especially in the province, is a vulnerable place for migrant workers. Extortion and fraud against migrant workers has become a common phenomenon reported in Indonesian media. The lack of facilities to help migrant workers who suffered physical abuse, lost documents and facing difficult administrative matters is one of the main problems. In Jakarta, the Indonesian government has set up this facility in Terminal Selapajang (or known as Data Collection Terminal) in Soekarno-Hata airport.

As a response to the lack of such facilities in provincial airport, Panca Karsa has advocated the urgency to set up Integrated Service Unit to function as help-desk in Selaparang Airport, Mataram, to help returning and departing migrant workers. One of the main tasks of this service is to provide cheap and fast procedure for the creation of legal documents for departing and placement of migrant workers abroad.

Since February 2009, this service is now available for migrant workers as well as company agents (PPTKIS) in West Nusa Tenggara.

migrant workers worldwide. It consists of violations that occurred during pre-departure periods in the country of origins, violations in the destination countries, and lastly, violations during the periods of return to the countries of origin. In addition, there isanother violation, which is not part of migrant workers rights, such as the failure of the state to protect their own citizens.

opportunities, widening networks as well as strengthening solidarity among the migrant workers.

To The New World—Internet Communication and Migrant Workers For Akhmad Fadli, VideoConference communication through internet from his village, sub-district Sidareja, district of Cilacap, was something impossible and even unthinkable.

Internet access only available in the town and he must spend 22

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TIFA MIGRANT WORKERS PROGRAM

During the past few years, Tifa Foundation has initiatedseveral strategic programs to protect and improve the conditions of Indonesia migrant workers abroad. The program, where poverty has become the main reason for migrations, is based on the principle that every migrant workers working overseas has the right to enjoy maximum protection and safety from the government: 1.

Policy Advocacies for The Protection of Migrant Workers; 2.

Capacity Building and Consolidation of Migrant Workers Organizations Overseas; 3.

Remittance policy and Empowerment of Migrant Worker's Family; 4.

Development of ICT; 5.

National and International Campaign for Migrant Worker's Rights

Policy Advocacy for the Protection of Migrant Workers In the modern society, the system and the real world are two different things. In every democratic country, the government policies must bridge the public interest to the problems existed in the real world to the system. Unfortunately, the practice of government in Indonesia is still far from this ideal. The case of migrant workers confirmed this judgment. The Indonesian government, in terms of her policy and rules, failed to meet 8

to seek information they needed. It was followed then by the development of community-based Internet communication in major migrant workers areas in Indonesia.

By installing computers and Internet technology, the initiative offered new opportunities for migrant workers and their families as well as the general population of the village. It helped them frequent communication to the outside world, provide access information to find new business and jobs

The village level strategy is also beneficial in other areas. In East Lombok district, Tifa partner's, KOSLATA, facilitated the formation of the same organization in two villages, the village of Swangi and Suryawangi. The task of this organization is to assist government officials to provide the population with better information on migration, as well as monitoring and handling the case of migrant worker. They were also successful in advocating the traditional regulation (awig-awig) to adopt the mandate for village officials to take care of migrant workers problem. In addition, there are now six migrant worker organizations established in this district.

Since 2004, PPSW has introduced a program to empower and organize members of migrant workers family as well as prospective migrant workers at the village level. The activities they carried were trainings related to the rights of migrant workers, capacity building to increase the skill of potential migrant workers and the establishment of cooperatives. The members of these organizations ne reached around 549 members in 17 villages in 3 districts areas. The result of their activities now are the availability of 88 facilitators at the village level to facilitate pre-departure trainings for potential migrant workers, as well as 84 community organizers to mobilize supports and handling against trafficking cases.

In 2009, with the support from AFP, Tifa is now replicating the experience of its partners in Nusa Tenggara province on migrant workers issues. It cover various activities such are capacity building for migrant workers family and community members, developing training module for paralegal network on migrant workers issues.

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leave the country. However, the practice is still far from the ideal. A common feature of migrant workers issue in Indonesia showed that many workers had not adequate information regarding procedures, the working conditions and even the basic information of destination countries.

Access to information is therefore one important condition for migrant workers. To fill this gap, Tifahas initiated a resource facility accessible online that enable migrant workers

Support System (Paralegal Network) for Migrant Workers at the Community Level One of important method to improve the protection of migrant workers at the early stage as well as during migration period is the establishment of paralegal network for migrant workers at the local level. The strategic importance of this system was its capacity to mobilize support from family, community members and village officials against the possible violation at the recruitment phase in the village as well as systematic efforts to educate migrant workers about their rights to face their employers and recruitment agents. In addition, this network played an important role to advocate village level regulation to protect the rights of migrant workers.

The response to this initiative was positive. The result was the formation of Village Official Network Forum in three districts: Forum Peduli Buruh Migran Cianjur; Forum Komunikasi Peduli Buruh Migran Indonesia and Forum Komunikasi Peduli TKI in Sukabumi. The importance of this forum was its role to facilitate meetings involving local officials at village and district levels to discuss and evaluate the conditions of migrant workers in their areas.

The use of radio to broadcast the meetings was also important in covering wide audients to the topics. The latest product of this forum was the creation of Centre of Information for Migrant Workers in three villages: the village of Bangpuyung in Pandeglang, Cibolang in Sukabumi and Cibaregbeg in Cianjur.

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various problems faced by Indonesian migrants workers.

This condition has led civil society organizations in Indonesia to advocate and mobilize support for better regulations regarding migrant workers. This was a protracted effort.

In 1998, following the democratization process in the country, the Ministry of Labor proposed a draft on Migrant Protection Bill to the Parliament. As a response to the limitation of protection offered in the draft, Indonesian CSO proposed another alternative draft along with the government version.

But the parliamentary session for this bill vacillated until the uproar to the case of mass-deportation of 'illegal' migrant workers from Indonesia in Malaysia. In 2004, Parliament has endorsed Bill No. 39/2009 onthe Protection and Placement of Indonesian Migrant Working Overseas. This was the first Bill ever introduced regarding the status of migrant workers by Indonesian government through the practice has begun since the mid-1970s.

The introduction of this Bill, without any doubt, helped the mechanisms to protect Indonesian migrant workers abroad. But still there are some weaknesses to address, such as inefficient, complicated and costly procedures in the practice of the law, as well as other gaps that let the violations occurred at the level of recruitment of migrant workers.

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Wages and Access to Financial Institution Encourage Transparency and Guard the Process of Migrant Workers Protection Bill In December 2003, after twenty-five years neglect, the issue of protection for Indonesian migrant workers has become serious discussion and debates in the parliament.

The mass-deportation of Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia on 2004 has added the level of urgency for the national system of protection for Indonesians working abroad. Alongside the proposal drafted by the Ministry of Labor and Parliament, there are another two alternative drafts proposed by the coalition of CSO and NGOs in Indonesia and the Faculty of Law, University of Brawijaya, in East Java. Apart from inherent weaknesses and protests, the parliament ratified on 29 September 2004 the first bill on migrant workers.

Tifa supported the coalition of Indonesian NGOs and CSOs to monitor, advocate and lobby the parliaments to ensure the legislation process in the parliament would serve the main interest of migrant workers. Efforts to monitor parliamentary meetings on migrant workers bill has also intensively conducted by the coalition of NGOs and CSOs, such are KOPBUMI, Kowani, Kohati, Solidaritas Perempuan, Yayasan Sekar, GPPBM, and National Commission on Women.

During the sessions, Indonesian NGOs and CSOs have criticized some points which was against the interest of migrant workers on the proposed bill. They organized national and international campaign to pressure the parliament. Critics and protests has also occurred in other major cities in Indonesia such Lampung, Jambi, Yogyakarta, Semarang, Cirebon, Blitar, Surabaya, Kupang, Mataram, Makasar, Medan, Pontianak and Palembang.

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There are still many problems regarding workers remittance.

Firstly is the lack of understanding among the workers on their salary level. They have just accepted what the agencies paid to them without prior knowledge of how much money they actually received from their employers.

Secondly, due to the lack of money, it was a common practice among prospective migrant workers to borrow money from their agencies to pay the cost of their departure. This was the vicious circle that put the workers into the debt-trap for a long time.

And thirdly, according to Bank of Indonesia survey in 2008, access to financial institution (banking) constituted as one major problem faced by Indonesian migrant workers abroad.

This situation led to the dependence on the middleman who asked high commission charge for the money they sent back home. The problem is also related to the low level of understanding of migrant workers family on the banking system.

On this regard, capacity building for prospective migrant workers and their family regarding their rights of full-salary as well as access to the banking system is relevant. The aim was to ensure that the workers have a full understanding about their salary and banking system that will help them to enjoy the fruit of their labor.

Internet & Information Access for Migrant Workers The Law of 39/2004 stipulated the government and working agencies to provide their clients with adequate information regarding working conditions worker's needed before they

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wage level in the Middle East.

But, remittance has a significant contribution for the economy of the home province of migrant workers. 90 % of remittance flowed to Java Island and East Java province was the highest recipient of remittance with 62 % (US $ 90 million) of total remittance flowing to Indonesia.

Socio-Economic Aspect of Remittance The immediate positive impact of remittance, in addition to the improving living standard of migrant workers family, is of course a growing reserve of foreign currencies in the country.

But in the longer terms, it might contribute to the improving standard of living for the general population such as the improvement of quality of life if it is spent to education and health, as well as increasing micro-economic activities if it is spent on investment.

However, according to the survey conducted by Bank of Indonesia (2008), the majorities of spending of went first to the household consumption needs followed then by spending for education. The cost of living consumed 38% of migrant worker wages followed by communication costs that consumed 24% of total wages. Venture capital and landpurchasing has become the main form of investment of migrant workers.

Based on this data, we can conclude that the short-term impact of remittance is on the improvement of living standard for migrant workers family and poverty reduction in the longerterm. Therefore, effort to educate migrant workers regarding financial management and spending is relevant for more sustainable improvement in the future.

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Therefore, Indonesian CSO directed their attention to the district and village levels where the recruitment occurred and the application of the new law has found its limitations.

The campaign for district and village level regulations, in line with the spirits of decentralization in Indonesia, has become the main targets of Indonesian CSO and NGOs. The important point of village level regulation is due to the fact that violations, such as document forgery and treachery and extortion by middleman, mainly occurred at this stage. The regulation is therefore aimed at consolidating communities (families of migrant workers), village apparatus and institutions mechanisms to monitor and protect potential candidates from those practices.

The main ideas behind this initiative is an assumption that mobilization of families, community members and village officials to work together on the issue of migration, and turned them into active subject, will reduce the cost and improve the efficiency of monitoring and protection of migrant workers at the early stage. Yet, besides of its strategic importance, the initiative was hardly successful. It still needs more intense campaign and support to push the local government to enhance the level of protection for migrant workers.

Village Regulations Tifa has always supportive to the initiative of Indonesian CSO and NGOs to enhance the protection of Indonesian migrant workers at local level. Regarding efforts to fill the gap left in the national bill on the protection of migrant workers at recruitment phases, Tifa has supported various advocacies on local level regulation for migrant workers. This has been done through support for local NGOs for campaign and advocacy 11

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activities in 'migrant workers areas' such as Blitar (East Java province), Cianjur (West Java), and West Lombok districts.

Other initiative was advocacy for the introduction of village regulations to protect and support migrant workers and their families in East Lombok, Sumbawa, Sukabumi and Pandeglang districts alongside activities to organize and empowerment of migrant workers families.

Campaign for Citizen Services Other type of hazard in the cycle of migration process-after recruitment process-is the violation that occurred in the destination countries. This has become the particular conditions of migrant workers. The protection for migrant workers is not solely deal with their rights as workers, but their status as nonnational of destination countries.

On this regard, the protection provided by the Bill of No., 39/2004 is insufficient. The bill stated that they have the rights to (1) freedom of thought, belief and worship, and (2) legal services according to their needs. It also mentioned the obligation to deliver and process new documents for migrant workers as well as bearing the cost of deportation. But it did not mention clearly who —among the government bodies—is charge of these tasks.

Having considered its incompleteness, the government issued Presidential Instruction No. 6/2006 regarding the establishment of labor attaché and citizen service unit in six countries: South Korea, Brunei Darussalam, Singapore, Jordan, Syria and Qatar. This added existing labor attaché in Malaysia and Saudi Arabia (Jeddah & Riyadh) with its formal duties and responsibilities.

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and the formulation of local regulation draft to protect migrant workers in this area. Panca Karsa, with the support of community organizers and local worker organizations, then advocate the draft for its adoption at the district level.

In 2008, the district of Lombok Barat has adopted the draft and decreed the Law No. 5/2008. It became the first local regulation in the country stipulating the protection of migrant workers. The regulation is also stipulated the existence of migrant workers Protection Commission to oversee the process of complaints handling on migrant workers cases. Similar result occurred in Blitar district, East Java province, where Solidaritas Buruh Migran Blitar successfully advocated the same type of regulation for migrant workers protection. In 2008, the Blitar district government has adopted the draft and decreed the regulation No. 15/2008 regarding migrant workers.

These two areas have now become the success stories of NGOs and CSOs initiatives to improve the level of protection for migrant workers at local area. The two districts have now provided the best example of local level handling regarding migrant workers problems and Tifa is still waiting another result from similar initiatives in Jambi and West Java province (through the support for PPSW in Cianjur district of West Java and Yayasan Sanak in Jambi).

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The Introduction of Citizen Services & Labor Attaché

Local Regulation Advocacy Protection for Migrant Workers Nusa Tenggara province is the biggest concentration of migrant workers in the country. In 2004, according to the Ministry of Labor, the number of migrant workers from this province around 147,147 migrants with daily remittance reached IDR 3 billion per-day. But this was also accompanied by the highest level of violations experienced by migrant workers. An NGO who works in this province, Panca Karsa Association, documented complaints case from 3,275 workers from 22 villages/sub-districts in Central Lombok and Sumbawa, ranging from physical abuse, fraud, rape and other violation leading to the death of person.

In light of this situation, Tifa Foundation has supported Panca Karsa Association initiative to pressurize the local government for the introduction of local regulation to protect migrant workers during the recruitment phase in 2006. The program was focused on the education and empowerment of migrant workers and their families covering six villages (Telagawaru, Bagek Polak, Gelogor, Kediri, Kuripan and Gerse) in the sub-district of Lombok Barat.

The result of this program was twofold: the establishment of two migrant workers organization in the village

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The Presidential Instruction (Inpres No. 6/2006) outlined the mandate for Indonesian government to appoint labor attaché and set up Citizen Service Unit in the countries where Indonesian migrant workers reside. To ensure the effectiveness of this mandate, Tifa supported ECOSOC Rights Institute to make an assessment regarding the function and implementation of citizen service unit and labor attaché in Malaysia and Singapore.

The support system for Indonesian migrant workers had been in place in both countries. In Malaysia, a task force was set up in Indonesian embassy to coordinate labor and immigration, military attaché, police, research and transportation sections to monitor and handling migrant workers cases in Malaysia. In Singapore, which is working at lower level of hierarchy, the labor desk of the embassy had improved administrative and hotline service to deal with migrant workers complaints.

The benefit of those systems was essential, but it still needs further improvement. In their report, Ecosoc's evaluation study has provided several recommendations to improve the effectiveness of support system, such as improvement of migrant database as well as close monitoring to workers agencies as well as their employers. In addition, they also recommended the need to organize community based monitoring organization among Indonesians Diasporas in Malaysia and Singapore. The last recommendation is still underway as a project pilot in Malaysia.

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However, the implementation of this Presidential Instruction is considerably slow. Until 2010, there are only six labors attaché in five countries (at the level of embassy and consulate general): Abu Dhabi, Kuala Lumpur, Kuwait, Riyadh, Hong Kong and Jeddah. While in Singapore, South Korea, Qatar and Brunei Darussalam there are only labors attaché without diplomatic immunity.

The Indonesian government projected the citizen service fully established by the year of 2007, the implementation of this units —which according to the mandate of presidential instruction to deliver quick, cheap, easy and satisfying onestop-service for migrant workers needs—is still far lag behind.

Therefore, effort to push the government to implement the presidential instruction is strategic. Tifa has initiated assessment and exploration of the best models for the units to operate effectively, and consider further campaign and advocacy activities with Indonesian NGOs and CSOs on this matter.

This initiative is combined with responsive efforts to resolve various cases against migrant workers in the origin and destination countries. Previously, this activity was organized by NGOs who had networks and competencies on migrant workers problems. However, there was an increasing needs and strategy to empower migrant workers communities overseas to handle their cases on their own initiative by creating networks of paralegal drawn from the migrant communities overseas.

tries and after the arrival to the home countries. Any effort to enhance the protection for migrant workers is thus not an isolated activity. Therefore, it is important for NGOs and CSOs in Indonesia to share, coordinate and synergize their efforts in more consolidated and systemic way.

Since November 2003 to June 2004, Tifa facilitated the meetings of NGOs and CSOs. It aimed at developing a common platform regarding migrant workers among advocacy organizations in Indonesia. In addition, Tifa has also supported initiatives to empower communities and migrant workers organizations. It was expected that in the future the workers will have the ability to deal with their case independently.

Workers Remittance and Empowerment

There are complex issues related to the problems of migrant workers. The problems began at the village level when workers were recruited, embarked and departed to destination coun-

In economic terms, migrant workers have become a national asset for their home countries. The remittance they send back home contributed significantly to the level of GDP of each country. In Tajikistan, the share of remittance reached the level of 45% of their GDP. It was the largest contribution for the country in 2008. In comparative terms, India is the country with the highest remittance level in the world, amounted to US $ 30 billion. And the Philippines occupies as the highest place in Southeast Asia with remittance level around US $ 18.7 billion annually.

The share of remittance to the national GDP is only one percent in Indonesia. In 2008, according to BNP2TKI, the level of remittance reached around U.S. $ 8.24 billion, which was slightly increase from the previous year of US $ 6 billion. The factors that contributed to this increase were the increasing number of migrant workers working overseas as well as the

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Capacity Building and Migrant Workers Organization