Indramayu, 11 February 2026 — The INKLUSI Program continued its Joint Monitoring Visit (JMV) in West Java by directly reviewing efforts to protect migrant workers and prevent child marriage in Indramayu District. The visit brought together Bappenas, relevant ministries and government agencies, the Australian Embassy (DFAT), local government, and INKLUSI partners. In Indramayu, the delegation observed how protection systems for migrant workers, women, and children are being built at the village level, while also identifying challenges that still need to be addressed.
As one of Indonesia’s largest migrant worker sending areas, Indramayu recorded more than 9,500 placements of Indonesian migrant workers in the first half of 2025. Migration has become a source of livelihood for many families through remittances, but it also brings a range of vulnerabilities, from non-procedural migration to human trafficking. In this context, village-based protection systems have become increasingly important.
Together with Migrant CARE, the delegation visited the implementation of Desa Peduli Buruh Migran (Desbumi), which is integrated with the Perempuan Berdikari (PERI) programme. This approach rests on three pillars: protection services through the Integrated Service Centre (PPT), economic empowerment for returnee migrant workers and migrant workers’ families, and village governance that is more responsive to migration issues.
At Segeran Village Hall, JMV participants held discussions with village officials, migrant workers, and PPT managers. Through the Desbumi PPT, community members can access complaint-handling services, administrative support, counselling, social assistance, and verification of departure documents. These measures are important in helping prevent irregular migration and human trafficking. The programme also promotes digitalised case recording and stronger village regulations through village bylaws on PPT and village budget support.
On the economic side, Desbumi supports both individual and group businesses, while also developing cooperatives for migrant workers’ families and returnees. Collaboration with corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives and universities has further strengthened training and local business development. A number of positive outcomes have begun to emerge, including increased business production, prevention of unsafe migration, support for migrant workers’ families, and improved access to social security entitlements.
However, a number of challenges remain. Many migrant workers are not yet registered with BPJS Ketenagakerjaan, while financial literacy and remittance management remain low. Cases of departure without verification of the destination company’s legal status are also still being found. At the same time, returnee migrant workers and their families are often not registered as poor households, making it difficult for them to access social assistance.
Attention was also drawn to caregiving and child protection issues within migrant families. Children of migrant workers who marry foreign nationals, for example, often face difficulties in obtaining civil registration documents. Meanwhile, the Desa Migran EMAS programme has not yet been fully socialised at the village level.
In response to these findings, KP2MI reaffirmed its support through the role of labour attachés in destination countries and the KPPMI WhatsApp complaint service. The Ministry of Social Affairs stated that social assistance for migrant workers can be accessed through complaint and assessment mechanisms. Bappenas encouraged local governments to use remittances not only for household needs, but also for the protection and empowerment of migrant workers, including by integrating village MSME strengthening into local development planning. The Ministry of Home Affairs also recommended that PPTs have legal entity status so they can play a stronger role in village development and access village budget funding.
As a follow-up, the parties agreed on several steps, including strengthening financial literacy for prospective migrant workers and their families, developing parenting education modules for migrant workers’ families, preventing non-procedural migration at the village level, and collaborating on competency standards for caregivers so that the care profession is better protected and more secure.
INKLUSI in Indramayu: Preventing Child Marriage and Violence against Women and Children
Still in Indramayu, the JMV delegation also visited Penyindangan Kulon Village together with Lakpesdam NU and Fatayat NU to take a closer look at efforts to prevent child marriage and respond to violence against women and children.
Indramayu District continues to record a high number of child marriages, with 343 couples in 2024 and 202 couples up to July 2025. This situation goes hand in hand with the high number of cases of violence against women and children, underscoring the need for a more systematic and sustained response.
Through support from the INKLUSI Program, Lakpesdam PBNU is implementing prevention efforts based on the National Strategy for the Prevention of Child Marriage (Stranas PPA). This approach includes establishing Village Children’s Forums as peer educators and youth leaders, providing education for parents and religious leaders, documenting cases through village child marriage prevention task forces, and strengthening local regulation through the establishment of task forces and the initiation of a Regional Strategy for the Prevention of Child Marriage (STRADA PPA).
In discussions with village government, Children’s Forum members, and other stakeholders, it emerged that teenage pregnancy remains high in a number of subdistricts, partly due to limited knowledge of reproductive health. In response, the Village Children’s Forum has actively proposed the establishment of a “Literacy House” and more meaningful involvement in village deliberations as part of a long-term solution.
Bappenas expressed appreciation for Lakpesdam NU’s role in supporting the prevention and handling of child marriage. The Directorate for the Fulfilment of Children’s Rights at KPPPA emphasised the importance of access to civil registration documents and education for victims, while the Directorate for Women’s Protection at KPPPA highlighted the urgency of establishing a UPTD-PPA in Indramayu to strengthen responses to violence against women and children.
The JMV visit in Indramayu reaffirmed that protecting migrant workers and preventing child marriage cannot be addressed separately. Both require an integrated approach, from village to national level, through stronger protection systems, responsive regulations, increased public literacy, and cross-sector coordination. Through these efforts, the overlapping vulnerabilities faced by women, children, and migrant families can be reduced more effectively.
