Distribution of Cases Affecting Indonesian Migrant Workers by Employment Sector, 2025

The Indonesian Migrant Workers Union (SBMI) handled 453 cases involving Indonesian migrant workers in various countries throughout 2025, with the forced scamming sector being the highest at 135 cases, or 29.80% of the total.

Forced scamming is a practice of human trafficking and forced labor. Individuals are recruited, placed, and controlled to carry out fraudulent activities—generally online—under threat or violence or abuse of power relations, thus having no freedom to refuse or quit the job.

According to SBMI, the highest forced scamming cases involved forced labor in Myanmar, which is a primary country for human trafficking (TPPO) crimes.

"This situation indicates that the state has failed in its prevention efforts, allowing the problem to grow faster than the efforts to address it," it stated in the SBMI's 2025 Year-End Report.

The second highest number of cases was in the migrant domestic worker sector, with 100 cases. An example of a case handled was a domestic worker who became a victim of human trafficking and experienced sexual violence.

According to SBMI, the repatriation process for victims is still hampered because they are located in conflict-affected countries. Meanwhile, cases of migrant workers in the fishing vessel crew (AKP) sector ranked third with 55 cases.

"Patterns of violations in the migrant fishing vessel crew sector have been recurring for over a decade. Recruitment processes are non-transparent, fees are high, documents are unclear, passports are withheld, and contracts are unilaterally changed. Many migrant fishing vessel crew members do not hold original contracts, pay excessive fees, and do not receive full wages," SBMI stated.

Below is the number of Indonesian migrant worker cases handled by SBMI throughout 2025 by sector:

• Forced scamming: 135 cases
• Domestic workers: 100 cases
• Fishing vessel crew: 55 cases
• Construction: 45 cases
• Merchant vessel crew: 37 cases
• Drivers: 27 cases
• Plantation: 20 cases
• Factory workers: 13 cases
• Hospitality: 5 cases
• Cleaning service: 4 cases
• Babysitters: 3 cases
• Children of migrant workers: 2 cases
• Restaurant: 2 cases
• Nursing homes: 2 cases
• Mail-order brides: 1 case
• Caregivers: 1 case
• Spa/salon: 1 case.