IOM host a conference in Jakarta on “Promoting Dialogue and Information Sharing on Labour Migration between Indonesia and Malaysia, Singapore and the Middle East.”

The aim of the conference, which marks the completion of a broader project, is to develop an action plan to contribute to enhanced labour migration management capacity in Indonesia and to strengthen the cooperation between Indonesia and Malaysia, Singapore, Bahrain and Kuwait.

At the conference, which was attended by representatives of governments and civil society organizations from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Kuwait and Bahrain, IOM presented the findings of a research report on labour migration from Indonesia, placement and pre-departure systems, protection of labour migrants and an overview of the situation for Indonesian labour migrants in the four key destination countries.

According to Indonesian Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration in 2006 there were 2.7 million Indonesian citizens working legally abroad, or 2.8% of the Indonesian workforce.

The majority of these labour migrants were women working in the domestic or service sectors and were concentrated in Southeast and East Asia and the Middle East, in particular Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.

Irregularities in the recruitment process in Indonesia and a lack of labour laws in many destination countries mean that Indonesian migrants often lack of protection and a significant number experience abuse at some time during their work placement abroad.

The IOM report, which is expected to be launched in April 2010, will include recommendations to the Indonesian government on the development of a future action plan for improved labour migration management.