AT LEAST 23 ILLEGAL MIGRANT WORKERS FLEE TO INDONESIA FROM M'SIA

Kupang, Jan 30 (ANTARA) - At least 23 illegal Indonesian workers from East Nusatenggara province were reported to have fled to Sumatra after a raid launched by Malaysian security officials into their work places.

The report on their fleeing from Malaysia back to Indonesia was known after the 23 problematic workers reported their fate to the East Nusatenggara manpower placement agencies association (Apjati) upon their arrival in Kupang on Wednesday evening from Tanjung Pinang.
The workers were reported to have worked in that neighboring for about one to three years.
Abraham Paul Lianto, local Apjati chairman, said those illegal migrant worker crossed into Malaysia through Nunukan in East Kalimantan with the assistance of local manpower profiteers.
The 23 illegal workers had to flee to Indonesia after the local security personnel in that neighboring country raided into their work places in a bid to capture illegal migrant workers.
"We can flee to Indonesia with the assistance of security personnel on border. But, the luggages we bring from Malaysia are confiscated and we were then forced to sail to Sumatra," said Nurhayati, a female worker from East Flores district.
When they arrived in Kupang on board of passenger ship KM Sirimau, those illegal workers from Flores island and West Timor immediately reported their fate to the Chairman of the province's manpower placement agencies association (Apjati) in hope of being able to facilitate their return to their respective villages.
Abraham said the workers who illegally and consciously entered to Malaysia with the assistance of certain elements of the police in border areas.
"We have no a strong legal basis to report this case to Malaysian government, as their entry to that neighboring country is illegal without the assistance of a labor recruitment and placement agency," he said.
On a separate occasion, Director of Kurnia Bina Risky Labor Recruitment and Placement in Kupang, Salmon Saragih said his side could not help them as their status was illegal and entered to that country without official procedures.
In addition, those illegal workers also reported the attitude of security officials in border areas who confiscated their money, gold, wrist watches and cloth.
However, the social affair representative office of East Nusatenggara was reported to have been ready to facilitate their return to their respective villages in this week.