Indonesia reduces number of migrant workers involved in legal problem

JAKARTA, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Indonesian government has been able to decrease the number of the country's migrant workers facing legal problem in overseas due to prevention efforts done by the government, a minister said here on Wednesday.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said that the number of Indonesia's migrant workers involved in legal problem decreased by 40 percent in the first ten months this year, compared to the same period last year.

"The data of the cases from January to October has been down by 40 percent from that of at the same period last year," Natalegawa said at the parliament building.

He said that the decline was due to the early detection on the problem faced by the migrant workers overseas.

Minister Natalegawa made an example that his ministry has freed 100 Indonesian migrant workers in overseas from the death penalty since last year.

Nevertheless, the minister said that it was still difficult to free the migrant worker from death penalty threat due to heavy crime cases.

But, the government would contine to give legal assistance to the workers, said Natalegawa.

"We will keep offer legal assistance. The threat of death penalty for crime is very serious and the perpetrators have been often Indonesian workers. The case can be drug problem or murder, " he said. Enditem

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