Human Security-Based Protection Diplomacy Efforts By Bp3mi East Java In The Repatriation Of Indonesian Migrant Workers' Remains From Malaysia In 2024

Abstract

This study examines the legal vacuum in the repatriation of deceased Indonesian Migrant Workers (IMW) from Malaysia in 2024 and the protection diplomacy practices of BP3MI East Java. A juridical-empirical method combines analysis of Law Number 18 of 2017 with a case study of 101 IMW remains repatriations from East Java. The findings identify the absence of a dedicated bilateral Memorandum of Understanding on remains repatriation, normative ambiguity on financing for non-procedural IMWs and an average burden of around twenty million rupiah per case. The study recommends three operational steps: a bilateral MoU with a specific remains clause, revision of Article 27 of Law 18/2017 and the creation of a status-blind emergency fund.