The International Organization for Migration (IOM), in collaboration with the Ministry of Manpower of the Republic of Indonesia, hosted a three-day training titled "Capacity Building on Fair and Ethical Recruitment IRIS for the Indonesian Government" from 20-22 August 2024, at Novotel Hotel, Tangerang City. The training aimed to enhance understanding and implementation of the International Recruitment Integrity System (IRIS) and the Montreal Recommendations, particularly on recruitment.

IRIS is an initiative by IOM aimed at promoting ethical recruitment of migrant workers. IRIS supports governments, civil society, the private sector, and recruiters in establishing ethical recruitment as the standard in cross-border labour migration. The main goal of IRIS is to ensure fair international recruitment for all parties involved: migrant workers, employers, recruiters, and both origin and destination countries. IRIS focuses on seven key aspects, including respecting the rights of migrant workers, enhancing transparency and accountability in recruitment, and advancing the "Employer Pays" principle (employers covering the recruitment costs).

Meanwhile, the Montreal Recommendations on recruitment provide guidelines to enhance the regulation and protection of migrant workers in international recruitment processes. These recommendations emerged from a global conference held in Montreal, Canada, and cover a range of important themes, including recruitment fees, licensing and registration of labour recruiters, inspections and law enforcement, access to grievance mechanisms and dispute resolution, as well as the welfare and support of migrants. The aim of these recommendations is to address gaps in international recruitment governance and ensure better protection for migrant workers.

During the opening, Risa Amrikasari, IOM Indonesia’s National Legal Officer, representing the Chief of Mission, stated that IRIS aims to ensure that the recruitment process is conducted ethically and fairly - fair for migrant workers, fair for employers, and fair for all parties involved.

"It is our collective responsibility to create a recruitment system that prioritizes the well-being of individuals and fosters a culture of accountability and transparency. Together, we can build a system that not only protects migrant workers but also contributes to a stronger and more resilient economy," said Risa.

Migration in Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, faces significant challenges due to the complex and often vulnerable nature of migration flows. Data reveals that international migration from Indonesia, involves nearly 4.6 million migrants with 44% being women, who frequently encounter serious exploitation and abuse. To address these issues, Indonesia has signed various Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with destination countries; however, implementation and oversight still require attention and improvement. This workshop helps to increase understanding of policy makers and other government officials on streamlining recruitment process to ensure integrated protection for the migrant workers.

Ir. Afriansyah Noor, M.Si, Deputy Minister of Manpower, emphasized how IRIS can support the development and implementation of their Information System and Application (SIAPkerja) that facilitate pre-employment services for Indonesian migrant workers and is part of Indonesia's digital employment ecosystem. SIAPkerja is a new branding for the Ministry’s digital services, improving upon various Employment Information Systems (Sisnaker).

“IRIS aligns with the vision and mission of the Ministry of Manpower in providing maximum protection for Indonesian migrant workers. We hope that in the future, SIAPkerja and IRIS can collaborate and synergize effectively, and that those present here can make a positive contribution to this event to ensure optimal protection for Indonesian migrant workers.”

The event was attended by representatives from various ministries, government agencies, and related organizations, who will collaborate to ensure that the measures taken have a positive impact on the protection of Indonesian migrant workers and support safe and orderly migration goals.

Throughout the three days of training, participants engaged with various materials including the introduction and application of IRIS standards and Montreal Recommendations, strategies to address challenges in recruitment and enhance transparency, discussions on monitoring and enforcement of recruitment regulations, and practical exercises on developing and reviewing licensing schemes and recruitment costs. Through this training, IOM equipped government officials with the necessary skills and knowledge to tackle challenges and find practical solutions in labour recruitment regulation, to support participants to implement more effective strategies and commit to high standards of migrant worker protection.

Overall, this IRIS training contributed to enhancing the capacity of the Indonesian Government to implement fair and ethical recruitment systems, thereby contributing to the achievement of relevant SDGs and targets, among others, SDG 5 Gender Equality, SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth, SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities, and SDG 16 Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions.

The training is supported by the Asia Regional Migration Program of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migrants (PRM), and the European Union and Sweden-funded Migration, Business and Human Rights in Asia (MBHR Asia) Program. The program includes a series of practical sessions and exercises covering an introduction to the IRIS standards, the Montreal Recommendations, and steps to improve ethical recruitment regulations both at the domestic and international levels.