Trends, Issues and Policies Towards International Labor Migration : An Indonesian Case Study

Type Conference Paper - Proceedings from the United Nations Expert Group Meeting on International Migration and Development
Title Trends, Issues and Policies Towards International Labor Migration : An Indonesian Case Study
Author(s)
Publication (Day/Month/Year) 2005
City New York
URL http://www.un.org/esa/population/meetings/ittmigdev2005/P02-CMFirdausy.pdf
Abstract
International labor migration has become an increasingly important feature in Indonesian economic development today. The reason for this is simply because of the increasing number of the unemployment and the poor caused by the Asian financial crisis. This paper aims at discussing trends, issues and policies of the international labor migration (especially the unskilled and semi skilled workers) taking Indonesia as a case study. Using the secondary and the small survey data, it is argued that the increasing number of labor migrants from Indonesia abroad in recent years has been associated with the increasing number of unemployment and the incidence of poverty caused by the economic crisis. However, determinants factors leading to migration have not only associated with wage differences (Harris-Todaro model), but also related with other non-economic factors (including looking for more experiences, the present family or relatives abroad, geographical location, and cultural ties). The bulk of labor migrants from Indonesia was particularly those with the unskilled and semi skilled laborers. However, policies to manage these types of labor migrants have not yet been well established by both labor sending and receiving countries. This may be simply because labor issue is the country’s internal problem. As demand and supply for these type of labor will continue in the future, there is a need for the governments in both labor sending and receiving countries to consider seriously solution towards these problems. This can be done, for instance, by forming a Foreign Employment Board in the labor receiving countries, formulating Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Indonesia and the labor receiving countries, and issuing labor migration law. These are needed not only to protect labor migrants from bad treatment given by the employers abroad, but more importantly because there is a tendency in which labor importing countries are reluctant to formally accept the dependence on these low-skilled workers.

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