Integrating the Scalabrinian Charism into the Life of the Indonesian Migrants: Exploratory Notes

Fransiskus Xaverius Yangminta, cs

In light of the celebration of the 125^th foundation of the Congregation of Missionaries of St. Charles—Scalabrinians, I would like to share a short reflection on the integration of the Scalabrinian charism into the life of the local Church in Indonesia through its pastoral ministry to Indonesian migrants. The question I seek to answer is: What pastoral strategies should the Scalabrinians potentially employ to respond to the needs of the Indonesian migrants today? I propose some exploratory notes that might be used as stimulus to our responses to the question. To begin with, I will present an overview of migration trend in Indonesia. Then I will trace some of the common problems that the Indonesian migrants confront. I will conclude by proposing some of the pastoral plans, which can be potentially carried out by the Scalabrinians to minister effectively the Indonesian migrants.   

 

An overview of migration trend in Indonesia

            There are two basic elements that induce migration trend in Indonesia: an increasing of population density and the surplus of workers. Indonesia is home to a population of roughly 240 million, the fourth most populous country in the world. The classic tradition of having large families, which is intended primarily to assure survival of an ethnic group, seems to be a continuously prevailing reality. Obviously this population explosion breeds a high rate of poverty, workers surplus, (skilled and unskilled), jobs shortage, meager wages, unemployment, and underemployment. All these socio-economic shattering realities characterize Indonesian migration trend as a “labor migration.”

From a migration perspective, the term “labor migration” suggests an international movement of workers across the international borders. However, I argue that labor migration includes the internal movement of workers. From the Indonesian context, this internal mobility is also known as transmigrasi, which literally means a movement of people from a dense populated region into a scarce populated region. Historically, transmigrasi has been part of the Indonesian migration policy ever since the pre-colonial, colonial, and post-colonial era.  It was revitalized by the Indonesian government in 1970. Undoubtedly, the main purpose of the transmigrasi program is to decentralize the distribution of workers and reduce the high rate of unemployment.

In line with our Scalabrinian mission, let us focus more on the international movement of Indonesian workers. The Indonesian immigrant workers overseas are approximately six million excluding those who are in an irregular status. Certainly, job opportunities and high salaries are the main factors that pull the Indonesians to work abroad. They can easily earn in an hour abroad what they normally earn in a day in Indonesia. The authorized migration is directed mainly to the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries (GCC) such as Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and UAE, where most of the Indonesian migrant workers are women, working mostly as domestic helpers. The “undocumented” or unauthorized migration is focused heavily on Malaysia and Singapore, where most of them are men working in construction sites and agricultural areas. The geographical proximity between Indonesia and Malaysia and Singapore makes these countries easily accessible by land, air, and sea to the documented as well as undocumented migrants. Consequently, violence, human rights abuses, and human trafficking (an exploitation of migrants by illegal brokers or calo, oftentimes occur not only on the border but also at the points of departure and arrival. All these problems are some of the obvious costs and consequences of an Indonesian mismanaged migration policy. Furthermore, the Indonesian government sends workers overseas (Tenaga Kerja Indonesia –TKI) primarily in order to increase the economic growth of the country through the economic remittances made up by the Indonesian migrant workers. In other words, the capital interest of the state outweighs the human value of labor, an ideology that is absolutely contrary to the Catholic social thought.

Living conditions of Indonesian migrant workers

            There is no mainline media in Indonesia that does not talk about common plights, which many Indonesian migrant workers are faced with, at the departure place, on the transit and at the destination. Before the departure, for instance, sponsors or recruiters oftentimes overcharge the migrant workers for the costs of their passports. The Jakarta Post has reported that in the last two years or so, migrants who have gone to work in Saudi Arabia were told to sign a document written in Arab, a language that they could not understand. Upon their arrival in Saudi Arabia, their employers held all their travel documents. These immigrants could not practically do anything to report to the government authority any domestic abuses they experienced. Many took the risk to escape from their employers even though their remuneration was not completely paid or their due contract was not finished.

            Having had a short conversation with a group of Indonesian migrant workers in Surabaya--who just came back from work in Malaysia and most whom were women--during my vacation last year and also having heard the stories of my relatives who had worked in Malaysia for many years, I came to realize that the news I heard on TV about the Indonesian migrant workers’ horrendous experiences were not just illusions but real stories of human suffering.

My relatives recounted the common injustices, which the Indonesian domestic workers wrestle with in Malaysia including domestic violence, no days off, and low salary. These injustices are experienced mostly by those unskilled migrant workers. Besides, a modern transaction of human industry—woman are trafficked for prostitution and child labor force—occurs frequently at the borderland area: Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore particularly in the location in the Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak, Malaysia, and Batam, Indonesia.       

 

The Scalabrinian possible effective pastoral methods to minister the Indonesian migrants 

            Having laid down the phenomenon of migration in Indonesia and the socio-political costs and consequences of this phenomenon, it might be well to ask simply: so what? What can the Scalabrinians do to help alleviate the human suffering of the Indonesian migrant workers? Three of the feasible pastoral methods might include: 1) Promoting a pastoral migratoria to the Indonesian Bishops’ Conference or KWI; 2) Opening a mission house in Jakarta, the capital, to and from where most of the Indonesian immigrants depart and arrive; and 3) Opening a mission house or a Stella Maris Center in Batam, the port that connects international naval base. All these dreams could possibly come true if indeed we, the Scalabrinians, aspire to integrate fully our charism into the local Church in Indonesia. For this reason, we need to be well prepared spiritually, intellectually, and culturally. The Indonesian Scalabrinians are challenged to support the three above-mentioned promising missionary works. Our nation’s philosophical principle, “Bhineka Tunggal Ikha” (unity in diversity) as well as our religious vocation to follow Christ in the Scalabrinian way of life should encourage us to reach out to marginalized Indonesian migrants—who are oftentimes treated like barang dagangan (commodity)—create among them a space for hospitality and promote a spirit of communion where diversity is honored and community is celebrated.