Indonesia
Labor migration
One
of the consequences of globalization is the interdependence of nations upon
each other. Capital and labor moves
freely across borders just like goods and services. The migration of workers from Mexico to the
United States is well documented, but the migration of Indonesian to Malaysia
and Saudi Arabia is more problematic. Indonesia
is the fourth most populous nation on the planet with 251 million people as of
2012 according to their census. Indonesia is the largest Muslim country in the
world. With a Gross Domestic Product
that averages 5.4% from 2000 thru 2012, the country is well position for growth
in the future. Indonesia has the largest economy in Southeast Asia and is considered an emerging
market economy of the world.
Underneath
this growth lie some contradictions that put Indonesia at risk for future advancement. Indonesia has several lamenting issues such as
poor infrastructures, government accountability, and large migration workforce.
In the last few years, the government
has taken steps to address the infrastructure issues and the accountability issues
but the migration issue remains a problem that neither the receiving country
nor sending country can solve alone.
According
to the Indonesian Census Bureau, there are about 2 million new entrants to the
Indonesian workforce every year. A large
number of unskilled workers that cannot find work migrate legally or illegally
to other countries mostly to Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, and the vast majority
is women. They do unskilled work, such
as domestic labor, and are not protected under the labor laws of the receiving
country. In several cases, they are
exploited, harassed, victim of human trafficking, and/or abused physically and
psychologically. These women do the jobs
that Saudi Arabian or Malaysian citizens refuse to do. The governments involved have taken steps to
remediate the problem but sometimes one cannot help to wonder if they are doing
enough. The U. S. Department of States’
Bureau for Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM), in conjunction with
Indonesian government, have taken steps to put in place clear labor policy for
countries sending and receiving immigrants. Indonesian migrants remit close to $6
billion annually to Indonesia’s economy (World Bank, 2009).
According to the U.S. Department
of State, there are an estimated 225,000 women and children who have been
trafficked in Southeast Asia. This is not an issue
that relates to Indonesia alone, as the world is becoming a larger backyard;
steps need to be taken to protect the most vulnerable in our society. There are those always willing to take
advantage of the weak whether thru modern slavery or human trafficking. Labor migration will be greater in the future
and this is not an issue that relates to Indonesia only. Indonesia is poised to be a world leader and
the migration issue is one that needs to be resolved sooner rather than later.
A country cannot be at peace if it cannot protect its own citizens.
References
Carbaugh, R. J.
(2010). Global economics (13th Ed.). Mason, Ohio: South-Western
Hugo, Graeme.
2005. Migration in the Asia-Pacific Region. Geneva: Global Commission on
International Migration.
WTO-Indonesia-The World Trade Organization
efforts-wto.com. (n.d.). WTO-The World Trade Organization efforts-wto.com.
Retrieved November 3, 2012, from http://wto.com
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