JAKARTA — The Advocacy Forum for the Rights of Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI) has raised serious concerns over the performance of senior officials at the Ministry of Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection (KP2MI). In a press conference held on Thursday (6/8/2026), the coalition urged the President to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the Minister and KP2MI leadership, whom they accused of obstructing the formal placement of migrant workers.
The press conference was attended by the Law and Human Rights Department of GARDA PRABOWO, the PROJO Migrant Workers Task Force, LP-KPK, AMBI, BUMINU-SARBAMUSI, BMI-SA, APPMI, and AP2MI & Human Rights.
The coalition assessed that KP2MI’s performance has yet to deliver meaningful breakthroughs. Instead of accelerating placements and strengthening protection, the Ministry’s bureaucracy remains sluggish and appears preoccupied with ceremonial activities rather than substantive outcomes.
“We demand a full evaluation of the Minister and structural officials at KP2MI, whose inefficiency is clearly hindering the implementation of the President’s Asta Cita program. Genuine protection for migrant workers is being neglected in favor of ceremonial events,” stated Amri Piliang, SH, CIRM, CIRP, Head of the Law and Human Rights Department of the Garda Prabowo National Coordinating Council.
The coalition also highlighted deteriorating placement governance for the Middle East region — historically one of Indonesia’s largest sources of remittances. They noted that the Single-Channel Placement System (SPSK), a pilot program launched under the Ministry of Manpower and recognized as effective in protecting migrant workers, was discontinued once authority was transferred to KP2MI.
Furthermore, although KP2MI has established the Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Information and Computerization System (SISKOP2MI) and issued Ministerial Regulation No. 2 of 2026 governing placement procedures, implementation has been described as far from optimal.
The coalition also pointed to ongoing discriminatory practices based on occupation, gender, and destination — particularly regarding placements to Saudi Arabia — which reportedly lack clear legal basis.
“These arbitrary practices worsen the investment climate and push Indonesian citizens toward unregulated placement channels. Consequently, workers depart without protection, without compensation, without being registered in SISKOP2MI, and without a licensed agency responsible for their welfare before, during, and after employment,” Amri explained.
The coalition presented four principal demands:
– Urge the President to evaluate the Ministry and restructure KP2MI leadership deemed incompetent or obstructive to formal placement policies;
– End counterproductive policies, including discriminatory practices based on gender or occupation in placements with private legal entities in the Middle East;
– Streamline overly bureaucratic and slow placement procedures to ensure migrant worker protection, safety, and rights are guaranteed swiftly and effectively;
– Revoke the planned closure of placement agencies (P3MI) that have not made placements within one year, replacing the measure with a development and oversight framework to maintain a conducive business environment.
The coalition pledged ongoing oversight of KP2MI to ensure migrant worker placements are conducted transparently, fairly, accountably, and under clear legal certainty.
“We urge the government to take immediate, concrete action to improve placement and protection governance — in full alignment with the President’s vision,” Amri concluded.
