The International Organization for Migration (IOM) in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) conducted a national consultation to validate the national Migration Governance Indicators (MGI) on Tuesday, 19 December 2023, in Jakarta. The meeting that was attended by 58 Government representatives, UN Agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) discussed the national MGI report developed by IOM and the Economist Impact (EI).

The report assessed 98 national indicators, crafted through several consultations with relevant institutions since March this year. It goes beyond a mere compilation of regulations and best practices, the MGI also serves as a valuable tool for guiding policymakers, stakeholders, and civil society in making informed decisions to enhance migration governance in Indonesia.

“MGI initiative, developed by IOM, stands as a testament to our commitment to fostering a more comprehensive understanding of migration governance in different countries. Today, we gather to validate the MGI report for Indonesia, a nation that plays a pivotal role in the intricate tapestry of global migration and faces unique challenges and opportunities in managing migration flows,” said Natalia Natalegawa, National Partnerships and Liaison Officer IOM Indonesia, representing the Chief of Mission.

Penny Dewi Herasati, Director of Socio-Cultural and International Organizations of Developing Countries at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, highlighted the benefits of the MGI for Indonesia during her opening remarks. “The MGI is a very useful tool for us to review and improve our migration policies. I can recognize some good practices and positive recommendations for our consideration, although some might not be suitable for Indonesia context, at least for now. I hope this exercise can improve synergy and coordination across ministries and institutions in finding the best solutions to migration challenges in the country,” said Penny.

Consultation on the Local Migration Governance Indicators

Not limited to the national level, the MGI was also piloted at the provincial level, where IOM collaborated with the Manpower and Transmigration Department of Central Java Province. Several consultations and focus group discussions were organized to tailor indicators suitable for the local context. The final consultation was attended by 92 local stakeholders, including representatives from local government offices, NGOs, CSOs, schools, and hospitals, took place on 7 December 2023 in Semarang to validate the assessment report of 76 indicators.

Jeffrey Labovitz, IOM’s Chief of Mission, emphasized the crucial role of local authorities in managing migration, “Local authorities play a crucial role in managing the benefits and challenges of migration. They constantly innovate and develop solutions for positive impacts at local and national levels. Through the development of local MGI, we hope government stakeholders will have better information to formulate and implement evidence-based policies related to migration,” said Jeffrey during his opening remarks.

At the local level, the government embraced the MGI initiative as a tool to assist in the development of effective migration programmes for prospective and returning migrant workers from their respective regions. Heri Supriyanto, Head of the Sub Directorate of Manpower and Transmigration at Ministry of Home Affairs, stated, “The central government is now developing a new regulation to provide instructions to local governments to ensure that the protection and placement of Indonesian Migrant Workers are included in the annual regional planning. This MGI will help us to prepare better programs for the migrant workers,” he said.

Highlighting migration challenges at the local level, Emma Rahmawati, Assistant of Government and People’s Welfare at the Regional Secretariat of Central Java Province, mentioned, “Many people from Central Java migrate to different cities, provinces and countries. The protection of migrant workers is crucial to ensuring safe migration. However, we lack coordination across institutions at the local level, especially in tackling human trafficking.” 

Both national and local MGIs were categorized into six dimensions of migration governance, including migrants’ rights, a whole-of-government approach, partnerships, socioeconomic well-being of migrants, the mobility dimension of crises, and safe, orderly, and regular migration. The validation workshop at national and local levels aimed to highlight the best migration governance practices and identify areas for further development to finalize the report.

This initiative is part of IOM’s Migration Governance for Sustainable Development in Indonesia Project, funded by the Migration Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MMPTF) and being implemented jointly with IOM, UNDP and UN Women. The program's objective is to enhance migration governance in Indonesia by bolstering government capacities in evidence-based migration and promoting gender responsiveness at both national and sub-national levels.