Jakarta. Indonesia is preparing up to 500,000 skilled workers through vocational training and education programs for overseas deployment, as the government moves to reduce the number of migrant workers employed in the domestic sector, a senior official said on Thursday.

Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment Muhaimin Iskandar said the policy reflects a strategic shift toward professional placements in formal sectors that offer stronger protection and higher economic returns.

“We are continuing to increase the number of professional migrant workers in the formal sectors while reducing reliance on domestic worker placements,” Muhaimin said during the 2025 International Migrants Day commemoration at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah in Jakarta.

Muhaimin also conveyed a message of appreciation to Indonesian migrant workers worldwide.

“I wish all our migrant workers across the globe a happy International Migrants Day 2025. Indonesia is proud of you,” he said.

According to Muhaimin, President Prabowo Subianto has directed the government to produce as many skilled workers as possible who can be placed in various countries in line with global labor market demand.

The event was organized by the Ministry for the Protection of Migrant Workers in cooperation with B-Universe Media Holdings, as part of the government’s recognition of Indonesian migrant workers as key contributors to national development and foreign exchange earnings.

Migrant Worker Protection Minister Mukhtarudin outlined a series of government measures aimed at empowering and safeguarding migrant workers. These include expanding vocational capacity-building from the senior high school level, establishing “Migrant Villages” across all 38 provinces to prepare workers at the community level, and providing placement financing of up to Rp 100 million within five working days.

Other initiatives include 24-hour rapid-response services for protection complaints, comprehensive employment and health social security coverage, full digitalization and data integration of migrant worker systems, and a reduction of placement processing time to 14 days, with job order verification capped at seven days.

The government has also introduced accreditation requirements for migrant worker recruitment agencies to improve service quality.

“We are launching the ‘Safe Migrants campaign to educate the public and all stakeholders on how to become safe and well-prepared migrant workers wherever they are placed,” Mukhtarudin said.

During the event, the government also symbolically sent off 1,035 Indonesian migrant workers to various destination countries.