If your helper (or maid) from Indonesia cannot board a flight to Singapore, you are not alone. This is a common situation that arises due to the non-compliance of the hiring with Indonesian regulations. However, with the proper support, there is a solution.
Why Is This Happening?
Indonesia has stringent laws in place to prevent human trafficking and protect its citizens from exploitation. Among the rules is the obligation for any domestic worker deployed from Indonesia to Singapore to go through an accredited employment agency in Indonesia partnering with a counterpart agency in Singapore.
Here are some key reasons:
- Protecting Workers' Rights: By mandating domestic workers go through licensed agencies, Indonesia seeks to ensure that these workers are not exploited by illegal recruiters, who often charge exorbitant fees or place workers in unsafe conditions. This also helps regulate the recruitment process.
- Minimising Exploitation and Human Trafficking: Unregulated channels have historically led to cases of human trafficking, forced labour, and mistreatment of Indonesian migrant workers. By centralising recruitment under local agencies, the government aims to curb these issues and ensure workers are treated fairly and with dignity.
- Improving Training and Certification: Local agencies are typically required to train domestic workers on their rights, responsibilities, and skills needed for work abroad. This helps workers be better prepared for the demands of their jobs and understand their legal protections.
- Better Monitoring and Accountability: When workers are funnelled through official agencies, the government can monitor their placement and intervene in cases of abuse or unpaid wages. It also allows for easier tracking of workers' welfare abroad.
- Aligning with International Standards: Indonesia wants to comply with international labour standards and agreements, such as the International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions. This helps build stronger diplomatic ties with countries where Indonesian domestic workers are employed and improves the country’s reputation as a responsible labour exporter.
- Economic Considerations: Ensuring that workers go through official channels also helps regulate remittance flows, contributing to the national economy. It allows the government to track how much money workers send back and use that data for economic planning.
The Risks of Bypassing the Process
Some employers - and even unscrupulous employment agencies in Singapore - try to bypass the Indonesian regulations to speed up the deployment. However, this can lead to severe consequences:
- Cost and legal Issues: Under Indonesian law, sending a helper without the proper channels is considered illegal. Once the helper is barred from taking the flight, the employer loses the value of the flight ticket.
- No Insurance Coverage: If a helper is not going through the legal process, she will not have an active medical insurance policy in her home country. This becomes a significant problem if she becomes unfit for work and is repatriated.
- No Medical check-up: Without a proper medical check-up in Indonesia, the helper may arrive in Singapore only to fail the mandatory medical examination. This could result in repatriation and added expenses for the employer.
- Lack of training and preparedness: the helper must undergo competency and pre-departure training to ensure she is ready for her domestic duties in Singapore.
Why Following the Formal Process Matters: 3 questions to Aprilia about her journey to Singapore after being stuck at the airport
Hi Aprilia, how did you find a job a Singapore?
I found my employer on my own. I knew there was a legal process to follow, but I didn’t know the details. So when my employer sent me the visa approval (In-Principal Approval), I directly went to Jogjakarta airport with a flight ticket, my passport, and the visa approval; I was excited to start my new job in Singapore. Unfortunately, my employer and I discovered that more steps should have been completed in Indonesia when the immigration officer stopped me.
Tell us about the day you were stuck at the airport. How did you feel?
I was really scared! When the immigration officer stopped me, I didn’t know I had done something wrong!
I was also worried that my future employer would drop the hiring and I was ready to accept the fate.
How did you manage to come and work in Singapore?
Thankfully, my employer contacted We Are Caring, and the employment agency was able to help us with its local partner employment agency in Jakarta. I am happy with how the local agency and We Are Caring treated me. They guided me through the entire process, the training requirements, the medical checkups, the documentation etc. They also checked my well-being regularly.
In my situation, the mandatory medical checkup in Indonesia made a real difference. When the doctor told me that the scan revealed a tumor, I was in shock! I quickly underwent a minor surgery, but now I am in good health, and the mandatory insurance covered everything: it was free for me and my future employer. This surgery changed my life for the better because it could have been dramatic if it was not detected early.
This episode reinforced my belief, and now I am happy working with the new family. It's all good; they treat me so well!
Is Your Maid Stuck at an Indonesian Airport? We Can Help!
If your maid is currently stuck at an Airport in Indonesia, we can assist.
We Are Caring is an ethical employment agency accredited by the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore, with an active partner employment agency in Indonesia to ensure a 100% safe and compliant deployment process. We can ensure to bring your helper to Singapore legally and safely - without salary deduction or placement fees!
Contact Us for Assistance
You can book a free Consultation call with our specialized Consultants at https://meetings.hubspot.com/sam-syahrul/free-consultation-call-with-sam to discuss your situation and find the best dedicated solution.
