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Ida said that the number of countries listed as placement destinations could change at a
moment's notice.

"The list can either be expanded or reduced depending on conditions at home and abroad. The
government has to make sure that the placement process is safe and guarantees the protection
of our migrant workers," Ida told the Post on Tuesday.

She went on to say that the placement process would officially start after her office finalized the
list of the first batch of destination countries or territories.

The ministry is now working together with the BP2MI to establish a joint team to monitor daily
developments relating to the pandemic and migrant labor, given the dynamics of the health
crisis.

According to BP2MI data, 88,973 worker candidates' applications were suspended when the
government imposed the restriction in March.
Aris said the government would first select the migrant workers from this pool of candidates,
prioritizing applicants who met the requirements in the new decree before moving to other
prospective workers.

"Not all those whose [application processes] were halted can immediately go abroad. There will
be reselection," said Aris. "If the conditions do not allow them to go, then they will not go."
BP2MI head Benny Rhamdani earlier said that his agency was ready to join hands with the
ministry in ensuring that the resumption of recruitment and placement was accompanied by
strict health protocols. He said the move was made to ensure access to employment.

According to BP2MI data, 3.74 million Indonesian migrant workers abroad sent home a total of
Rp 160 trillion (US$10.9 billion) in remittances in 2019..

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