Invisible Migrants: Indonesians Abroad
Growing up as a kid inside melting pot that will will be California, where since 2000 no single ethnic group has accounted for a majority of the population, I amazingly never once met an Indonesian.
Oh, there were plenty of Asians – fellow Indians, Filipinos, Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Vietnamese, Thai as well as, going further west, neighbourhoods for Armenians as well as Persians. Both second-generation Asians like me, or recent immigrants alike. the item will be not too dissimilar to what you find in various other western cosmopolitan cities like London, Paris, or Berlin. however, with the exception of former colonial overlord Holland, none of these countries have as much of a presence coming from the earth’s fourth largest country. Indonesia doesn’t even rank inside top 25 origin countries of migrants to members countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation (OECD), which includes much smaller countries, such as Ukraine or Peru1. the item will be easy to conclude then that will Indonesians just don’t emigrate much.
that will would likely be completely wrong. the item might surprise you to learn that will Indonesians are one of the earth’s largest migratory countries. An estimated 6.5 million Indonesians work abroad at any given time, though accurate numbers are nearly impossible to glean due to the constant flow of people in as well as out of the country. They aren’t coming to developed countries, though; instead, the top destinations are Saudi Arabia (1.5 million) as well as Malaysia (1 million), with significant populations also in Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Qatar, the UAE as well as Jordan. They come coming from all around the archipelago, however predominantly coming from the lower classes as well as kampungs in Central Java, East Java as well as Lombok.
They are also one of the populations most vulnerable to exploitation abroad. Weak multilateral agreements, contradictory policies, aggressive, unaccountable employment agencies as well as a government that will actually profits coming from migrant workers leave too many Indonesians in situations of forced labour, domestic servitude, or sexual exploitation abroad. Low education as well as foreign language abilities of many migrants only acerbates This specific.
Many work inside shadows, as domestic workers, in isolated factories, or in remote palm oil plantations. Some of their stories are heartbreaking. Did you hear about Erwiana, a 22-year-old domestic worker who was tortured by her employer for nine months in Hong Kong? Or Satinah, who killed her employer in self-defence, as well as who was only recently freed coming from death row in Saudi Arabia after $1.8 million in blood money was paid? Both made headlines inside Indonesian as well as international media. According to Migrant Care, an NGO that will works to protect as well as raise awareness about Indonesian migrant workers, there are 375 Indonesians on death row abroad, many for crimes they did not commit, or for acts of self-defence.
This specific will be only the tip of the iceberg. Migrant Care also estimates that will three Indonesian migrants die every single day; over 1,000 a year. The reasons are a multitude – police brutality in Malaysia2, poor working conditions inside Middle East as well as untreated diseases caught while working inside sex industry. Most are young, as well as most are women.
Imagine if three Dutch, American, or Germans died abroad every day? The outrage as well as international attention would likely be astounding. The murder of 1 American in Bali a few months ago made headlines all across Indonesia3. Can you remember the last time you saw a story in your home country about an Indonesian who was murdered abroad?
As an American, I’m incredibly lucky. Many of us who consider ourselves expats (a word using a far different connotation than ‘migrant’) are well protected here in Indonesia. We have access to excellent services that will most Indonesians can only dream of. We are connected to each various other through powerful networks. We’re not exploited at work, nor are we subject to regular physical or sexual abuse. Few of us are tied to 1 employer or forced to stay here until our visa expires. I’ve never heard of an expat having his or her employer take their passports to keep them coming from leaving – a common practice inside Middle East as well as Malaysia.
This specific will be often because the countries we come coming from protect their citizens abroad. Indonesians working abroad don’t enjoy the same luxury. Let’s remember them as well as fight for their rights too, both here as well as in our home countries. We may call ourselves expats, however we are also migrants, as well as all of our stories are connected. Just because we’re more visible as well as coming from better-off countries, doesn’t mean we should forget about those who are not. If we haven’t learned that will coming from our international experience, then what’s the point of being abroad?
1[link: http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2011/jul/12/immigration-destination-countries-list-migration-statistics]
2[link:http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/01/20/three-indonesians-shot-dead-malaysian-police.html]
3[link:http://www.thebalidaily.com/2014-02-26/one-more-arrested-us-citizen-s-murder-case.html]
Learn More:
– www.buruhmigran.or.id
BuruhMigran Portal (in Bahasa Indonesia) – An information portal run by as well as for migrant workers to keep up with issues as well as for Indonesians to be aware of workers’ issues abroad.
– https://www.facebook.com/MigrantCare
– Twitter.com/MigrantCare
Migrant Care – Indonesian NGO focused on protecting Indonesian Migrant Workers’ rights abroad.
– www.IOM.org
IOM (International Organization for Migration) – Global body that will oversees international regulations while also monitors as well as collects data on migration.
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Invisible Migrants: Indonesians Abroad
Invisible Migrants: Indonesians Abroad