Sita Planasari, Jakarta – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is overseeing the repatriation of 152 Indonesians who were deported from Saudi Arabia for violating residence and work permits in the country.

In a written statement released in Jakarta, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as reported by Antara on Saturday, May 3, 2025, stated that the individuals returned to Indonesia via Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang on a commercial flight on Thursday.

Most of them are Indonesian migrant workers (PMI) who worked non-legally and then faced legal and immigration issues in Saudi Arabia, leading to their detention at the Shumaisi immigration detention facility in Mecca.

There are 130 women, 13 men, and 9 children or infants out of 152 Indonesians. They are mostly from provinces with high migration rates, such as West Java and West Nusa Tenggara.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the deportation process was carried out through intensive coordination between the Indonesian government and local authorities, and cooperation with relevant agencies.

The Indonesian Consulate General in Jeddah provided direct assistance, including handling travel documents and coordinating with local authorities, to ensure their safety and return to Indonesia.

From the beginning of the year until now, the Indonesian government has facilitated the repatriation of 1,304 Indonesians for violating residence permits in Saudi Arabia in seven waves of repatriation.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also urged Indonesians who intend to work abroad to follow the applicable official procedures to avoid legal risks and immigration violations in the destination country.

The Minister of Manpower Protection for Migrant Workers (KP2MI), Abdul Kadir Karding, on March 15, 2025, revealed that around 70 percent of non-procedural Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI) in the Middle East are women.

He stated that this situation will receive full attention from the government in handling and addressing cases of illegal migrant workers.

"So, the ministry is currently creating a profile, and we have coordinated with the police, intelligence agency, military, and immigration. Yesterday, we formed a special desk for the protection of Indonesian migrant workers and human trafficking (TPPO)," he said.

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2003100/indonesia-repatriates-152-workers-deported-from-saudi-arabi