Tangerang. The Indonesian government aims to deploy 425,000 migrant workers to foreign countries in 2025, with plans to expand their destinations to European nations, a senior official announced on Friday.

Migrant Worker Protection Minister Abdul Kadir Karding acknowledged that achieving this ambitious target will require significant effort and close coordination among state agencies.

“It will take hard work to increase the number of Indonesian migrant workers from the current 267,000 to 425,000 in 2025. We are developing strategies to meet this target while maintaining a strong focus on worker protection,” Abdul said during a visit to the B-Universe Media Holdings office in Pantai Indah Kapuk 2, Tangerang.

The government is planning to broaden its traditional migrant worker destinations in Asia and the Middle East to include up to 15 countries, particularly in Europe.

“During a cabinet meeting last week, President Prabowo [Subianto] instructed us to expand the destination countries to Europe, citing requests he received from European leaders,” Abdul said.

To ensure successful placements, the government will prioritize equipping workers with essential skills and fluency in the languages of their host nations.

“We will focus on their protection and ensure they possess the necessary skills, language proficiency, and mental resilience to work abroad,” the minister said.

Abdul added that selected destination countries must offer better salaries and provide health, social, and life insurance for Indonesian migrant workers.

Changing Stereotypes and Elevating Skills
B-Universe Executive Chairman Enggartiasto Lukita highlighted the ministry’s crucial role in creating job opportunities for Indonesia’s large workforce, including new job seekers and those affected by layoffs in the current challenging economic climate.

“We rely on the ministry to help both newcomers in the labor force and those who have lost jobs due to economic difficulties. The number of layoffs could worsen under the current conditions,” Enggartiasto said.

He also stressed the importance of overcoming stereotypes about Indonesian migrant workers, who are often perceived as maids or unskilled laborers in the agriculture and construction sectors.

“Minister Abdul Kadir Karding has introduced an inspiring program to change the perception of our migrant workers. The focus is now on preparing skilled workers with specific capabilities and foreign language proficiency,” Enggartiasto said.

Enggartiasto noted that Indonesian migrant workers have the potential to significantly boost the country’s foreign exchange earnings, similar to the role of migrant workers in the Philippines, where remittances are a major source of foreign currency revenue.

“The minister’s initiatives to prioritize skilled workers could position Indonesia to generate substantial foreign exchange income, much like the Philippines,” he added.