Jakarta. The Indonesian National Police suspects that as many as 1,047 students fell victim to human trafficking crimes in Germany, disguised under internships or "ferienjob," where Indonesian students were employed in Germany as manual laborers.

"We received information that they were working as laborers, colloquially known as 'kuli' in Indonesia," said Brigadier General Djuhandhani Rahardjo Puro, Director of General Crime of the Indonesian National Police Criminal Investigation Department during a press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday.

"Ferienjob" refers to temporary work or internships that students undertake during school or university holidays to gain experience or earn extra income.

"Based on our investigation, these students were studying electrical engineering but were employed as manual laborers, carrying heavy loads. They were employed in physically demanding positions," he added.

The case came to light when the police received a report from the Indonesian Embassy in Germany regarding four students who sought assistance from the embassy while participating in the ferienjob program in Germany.

"After further investigation, it was revealed that this program was conducted by 33 universities in Indonesia, with a total of 1,047 students sent abroad through three labor agencies in Germany," said Djuhandhani.

The police have identified five suspects involved in human trafficking crimes. One of them is ER, also known as EW, the director of the human resources agency SHB. ER was responsible for establishing cooperation and signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between SHB and the State University of Jakarta (UNJ). She collaborated with another agency CV GEN to manage departure requirements and coordinated with German agencies to arrange internships for students.

UNJ has terminated its participation in the program and repatriated 93 students from Germany.

Atma Jaya Catholic University (UAJ) ceased its ferienjob program in February 2024 in response to widespread reports of alleged human trafficking under the guise of internships in Germany.

UAJ stated that 27 students who participated in the program had returned safely and in good health without any issues.

"We conducted an internal investigation and thorough evaluation of the Ferienjob Germany program's progress and ensured its immediate termination since the beginning of the year. All our students returned safely and that's what matters most," said UAJ Secretary Agustina Dwi Retno Nurcahyanti in Jakarta on Wednesday.

The Ferienjob program began in 2023, sending 27 students from various faculties at UAJ. These students commenced the program on October 1, 2023, until December 31, 2023. The program evaluation was conducted in January leading to UAJ's decision to terminate the program.

Agustin explained that coordination with the International Office of Atma Jaya resulted in the ending of the internship program due to its minimal benefits to the student's learning process.

The evaluation revealed significant areas requiring improvement, including mismanagement in the job placement process, financial issues such as accommodation cost deductions, tax refunds, as well as work protection and health insurance.