TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia is mulling a moratorium on sending Indonesian workers to conflict areas, said Mukhtarudin, the Minister of Migrant Workers Protection, as conflict escalated in the Middle East.
"We are preparing alternative policies for suspension or banning worker placements in conflict areas," said Mukhtarudin during a working meeting with the House of Representatives' Commission IX in Jakarta on Wednesday, April 8, 2026.
The Migrant Workers Protection Directorate has established a crisis oversight team closely working with government representatives in conflict areas, especially those in Iran or bordering Iran. The team reports daily conditions across the Middle East nations, including Oman, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and other places.
Mukhtarudin said his ministry has mapped the regions vulnerable to conflict, where the government would avoid sending Indonesian workers to the most vulnerable areas.
Regarding the moratorium of sending workers to conflict regions, the minister said it will engage the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the House of Representatives Commission IX as partners.
Indonesia, he said, is also preparing repatriation services and facilities for Indonesian migrant workers if tensions in the Middle East escalate once again. The government also claims to provide psychological support services for affected workers. The counseling services can be accessed online.
"They may have not been affected physically, but they feel traumatized because they hear bombs and missiles in their areas," said Mukhtarudin.
The ministry noted around 20,000 Indonesian migrant workers working across the Middle East region. About 4,000 workers are placed at the borders of Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Turkmenistan, and 16,000 people are at the borders of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
Read: Indonesia Eyes Europe for Expanding Migrant Worker Opportunities
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