JAKARTA — A number of leading civil society organisations (CSOs) in Indonesia gathered at the Dompet Dhuafa Philanthropy Building, South Jakarta, on Thursday (05/12/2024). This collaboration forum was attended by representatives from various institutions with the main objective of uniting perceptions of the situation and needs of refugees in Indonesia and how to unite steps in providing protection and humanitarian assistance for them.
The list of institutions that attended this discussion forum were Dompet Dhuafa, KontraS, YLBHI, HRWG, AJAR, Amnesti Indonesia, RDI Uref, SAFEnet, Human Inisiatif, Save The Children, LBH APIK Jakarta, YKMI, LBH Masyarakat, PBHI, Ibu Dessy – PRW, LBH Jakarta, Mer-C, Lazismu, SUAKA, JRS, Geutanyoe Foundation, CWS, and KontraS Aceh.
Titled ‘Workshop on Joint Strategy of Civil Society Organisations Regarding the Handling of Overseas Refugees in the New Government’, the intensive discussion focused on the challenges faced by refugees, especially related to access to health services, education, employment, and most importantly legal protection. The participants shared their experiences and knowledge on the current condition of refugees and the efforts that have been made by each organisation.
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Based on the latest data from UNHCR (May 2024), there are 12,772 refugees spread across Indonesia, including Jakarta, Bogor, Medan, Pekanbaru, Aceh, Kupang, Batam, Surabaya, Semarang, Denpasar and Makassar. The majority of refugees come from Afghanistan, Rohingya, and 51 other countries. This number also includes new arrivals of Rohingya refugees in Aceh from November 2023 to January 2024.
Indonesia is a transit country for foreign refugees, and the solution that refugees hope for is resettlement in a third country. However, with the emergence of various conflicts in Asia, Europe, and Africa, resettlement solutions are increasingly limited and do not apply to all refugees. The waiting period of 5 to 10 years in Indonesia, coupled with the inability to work, makes refugees dependent on assistance from various parties such as IOM, UNHCR, and other service provider agencies.
Entering the second half of 2024, the condition of self-refugees, especially those living in Jakarta and Bogor, is getting worse. Of the 5,810 refugees in Banten, DKI Jakarta, and West Java, around 1,200 people still receive assistance from UNHCR. However, due to limited funds, UNHCR has been forced to reduce routine assistance for some refugees. This has worsened the situation of the refugees, some of whom are forced to live in friends’ houses or public facilities. The Kalideres ex-Military District Command building is the only government building in Jakarta that can be used by refugees.
Around 100 refugees, including adults, men, women, and children, live in Kalideres, relying on assistance from local residents, UNHCR, and local organisations for basic needs such as electricity, water, and food. Meanwhile, around 800 Rohingya refugees in Aceh are still living in temporary shelters with all the limitations. Given the increasingly desperate situation of refugees, cooperation between various organisations is needed, both in the form of advocacy, legal assistance, and provision of basic services.
Legally, the Government of Indonesia has issued Presidential Regulation No. 125/2016 on the Handling of Refugees from Abroad, but the fulfilment of refugees’ basic rights is still not regulated in detail in the regulation.
Breakthrough efforts to fulfil the basic right to education have been made with the issuance of Circular No. 30546/A.A5/HK.01.00/2022, addressed to 50 Regional Heads and Education Offices in areas with refugee children. In terms of providing legal documentation, SE No. 400.8.1.7/13292/Dukcapil has been issued on Important Event Recording Services for Refugees from Abroad and Civil Registration. Most recently, SE No. 2/1730/LP.03.02/IX/2023 on Job Training for Refugees was issued by the Ministry of Manpower. Meanwhile, for direct handling, based on Presidential Regulation No. 125/2016, the PPLN Task Force was established at the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, with the Regional PPLN Task Force under the Regional Kesbangpol. However, the implementation of the Presidential Regulation still needs improvement because it is considered to still have many shortcomings.
On his occasion, Dompet Dhuafa Alliance and Advocacy, Rama Adi Wibowo said in this forum, that Dompet Dhuafa in Bogor has initiated the Learning and Empowering Center Programme, which is a cross-issue programme, education, health services, vocational training, da’wah and others. In addition to involving refugees as beneficiaries, this programme also involves local communities to build social integration between local communities and refugees who have lived in Indonesia for a long time. Then in Aceh, Dompet Dhuafa and collaborative partners continue to assist Rohingya refugees who are having difficulty finding asylum.
‘We also not only provide services, but also advocacy assistance. Recently, Dompet Dhuafa has made a submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review talking about refugee issues. In addition, we also made a submission to the Global Refugee Forum. Then what will be done in the future, Dompet Dhuafa hopes to do something so that the government can go extra miles on international diplomacy related to attitudes towards international criminals. This includes sheltering victims of crimes against humanity, especially those in Palestine,’ he explained.
Getting the chance to speak, Gading from JRS (Jesuit Refugee Service) said that the Indonesian government does not yet have a firm policy for refugees from abroad. Indonesia only has regulations. For JRS, this is why Indonesia has never had a firm stance in every refugee case.
‘So, it is important to emphasise this. What is our position towards refugees? Are we accepting or rejecting? So, in the future, for me, as our common reflection, how can humanitarian groups and human rights groups marry? Because almost what we are discussing, human rights organisations are used to doing that. But the question is, is there a consultative and participatory process to channel information in the field with networks of community institutions into a common house,’ he explained.
The discussion in this forum then resulted in a very encouraging agreement. The participants agreed to strengthen synergy and collaboration in handling refugee issues. This commitment was outlined in a declaration that included concrete action plans for the short and long term.
The discussion led to the conclusion that there is a need for a platform as a common home in order to strategically determine steps and connect between humanitarian groups and advocacy groups. Furthermore, this forum will organize regular meetings, so that partial matters that have not been discussed can be discussed again in depth.
Some important points in the results of this forum include:
1. Strengthening Advocacy: Increase advocacy efforts to the government and other stakeholders to improve refugee protection policies.
2. Improved Access to Services: Ensure refugees have better access to basic services such as health, education, and employment.
3. Capacity Building: Conduct training to social workers and volunteers to increase their capacity in providing services to refugees.
4. Refugee Issue Campaign: Promoting the views of refugees and raising funds from various sources to support humanitarian programs for refugees.
5. Information and Communication Network: Build a strong information network in the form of a specialized forum, to facilitate coordination and data exchange between institutions.
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While this discussion resulted in progress, there are still many things that need to be discussed further. Each institution expressed readiness to hold further meetings to deepen the discussion, including on possible revisions to the legal basis, including Presidential Regulation No. 125/2016 on Handling Refugees from Abroad.
Atika, a participant from SUAKA, conveyed her impression of participating in this discussion forum. For her, the Forum has provided a space for CSO organisations to learn from each other and share experiences.
‘This forum provides a space for us to learn from each other and share experiences. We believe that by working together, we can make a greater contribution to the welfare of refugees in Indonesia’.
Through this forum, CSOs in Indonesia are expected to be more solid in fighting for the rights of refugees and committed to building a better future for them. (Dompet Dhuafa)
Text and photo: Riza Muthohar
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