Indonesia repatriates human trafficking victim from Libya

hartono · Jul 17, 2026

Indonesia repatriates human trafficking victim from Libya

Minister for the Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Mukhtarudin (middle) answers journalists' questions after a working meeting with Commission IX of the House of Representatives (DPR) in Jakarta on Friday (July 17, 2026). ANTARA/Kuntum Khaira Riswan

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Migrant Workers Protection Ministry said an Indonesian human trafficking victim stranded in Libya has been successfully repatriated and will help raise public awareness about the importance of working overseas through legal channels.

Speaking after a working meeting with the House of Representatives (DPR) here on Friday, Minister Mukhtarudin said the victim, identified by the initials AJ, has returned to his hometown in Cianjur, West Java, after a lengthy repatriation process.

"Alhamdulillah, we repatriated him yesterday, and he has returned to Cianjur. We have asked him to help raise public awareness. He became a victim (of human trafficking) due to a lack of knowledge," Mukhtarudin said.

The minister explained that AJ's repatriation was not easy. The government had to negotiate with various parties to ensure his safe return to Indonesia, including paying compensation to his employer.

"For AJ, whom we repatriated from Libya, the negotiations were quite lengthy, and we had to pay compensation to the employer," he said.

Mukhtarudin confirmed that AJ was a victim of both non-procedural migrant worker placement and human trafficking. Based on AJ's account, he was transferred from one employer to another several times while abroad before eventually returning to Indonesia.

After returning to his hometown, AJ has been encouraged to share his experience with the local community. The government believes his story can help raise awareness of the risks of working overseas through illegal channels.

Mukhtarudin emphasized that the government will continue to protect Indonesian migrant workers who become victims of human trafficking or illegal placement.

"In principle, whether they are victims of human trafficking or non-procedural migrant workers, we will continue to assist them. We hope there will be no more cases like AJ," he said.