As the champion country of the Global Compact for Migration (GCM), Indonesia is committed to the protection and fulfillment of migrant’s rights to promote a safe, orderly and regular migration. In doing so, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs alongside the International Organization for Migration (IOM) conducted a “Youth Dialogue: Unpacking the Global Compact for Migration” at the University of Mataram. The dialogue aimed to socialize the GCM towards university students and the public on the implementation of the GCM in Indonesia and the best practices in migration governance. Funded by the Migration Multi-Partner Trust Fund through the joint programme “Migration Governance for Sustainable Development in Indonesia”, the dialogue was attended by 155 participants from the public with university students as the majority.

The event was held at the Dome Building, University of Mataram (UNRAM) and opened by Penny Dewi Herasati, Director for Socio-Cultural and International Organization of Developing Countries for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Zena Van Bemmel-Faulkner, IOM’s Programme Officer representing the Chief of Mission, and Prof. Dr. Muhammad Sood, SH., MH., UNRAM’s Head of the International Relations Study Programme.

“The appeal of better opportunities abroad is undeniable. Migration can be advantageous, only, and if only, it is properly governed and conducted with awareness, in a safe, orderly, and regular manner” – said Zena during her remark.

The main event, youth dialogue, presented five prominent speakers including Penny Dewi Herasati who provided an overview of the GCM and its implementation in Indonesia; Diah Zahara from IOM Indonesia who delved into the history, principles, and objectives of the GCM; Ahmad Wardi from the Department of Manpower and Transmigration of the Province of West Nusa Tenggara who shared insights on best practices and the successful implementation of the GCM at the local level; Annisa Pratiwi Iskandar from Rumah Perempuan Migran, IOM’s implementing partner, who showcased their Innovative Financing Initiatives at West Lombok, and Rina Komaria from Ministry of Foreign Affairs who addressed the issue of online scams and its preventive measures.

"To ensure that migration is conducted in a safe, orderly, and regular manner, we encourage all citizens especially potential Indonesian Migrant Workers to find the correct information regarding the labour market abroad from trusted sources such as the Department of Manpower and Transmigration at the City/Regency level, BP2MI, or LTSA," said Ahmad Wardi during the panel discussion.

After the speakers presented their topics, a QnA session was conducted to open a discussion with the participants. Penny Dewi Herasati in one of her answers during the QnA said “Migration is a personal choice, driven by individual needs to improve capacity and welfare. For those who choose to migrate, it is necessary to have skills and resources needed to thrive in the migration process. The government's role is to ensure a safe, orderly, and regular migration pathway and to provide the necessary protection for migrants and their families". 

A few participants won prizes from the quiz session after answering questions regarding the dialogue and GCM. The event ended with the screening of IOM and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ short movie “Through the Screen” that showcased a story about human trafficking for online scam industry based on a true story. IOM keeps becoming the frontrunner to promote and support the implementation of the GCM by the government.

“The current online scam victim profile targets young people aged 18-35 with a higher educational background, digital natives, and those aspiring to work abroad for prestige. We must all be cautious of the risks it poses to ourselves and those around us,” said Rina Komaria.

Through this socialization event, it was hoped that it would promote a safe, orderly, and regular migration by disseminating the correct information further with the public especially through students as the agents of change. Everyone has a crucial role as champions to promote a safe, orderly, and regular migration. Let’s make migration for the benefit of all.