21 Thousand Indonesian Migrant Workers Departed in Early 2026, These Are Their Destination Countries

According to a report from the Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Agency (BP2MI), there were 21,137 Indonesian migrant workers (PMI) placed in various countries in January 2026.

This number decreased by 17% compared to January 2025, when the number of placements reached 25,643.

At the beginning of this year, Taiwan was the country with the most PMI placements, with 8,302 workers, equivalent to 39% of the national total.

The following is a list of the 10 countries with the highest number of Indonesian migrant workers in January 2026:

1. Taiwan: 8,302
2. Malaysia: 4,716
3. Hong Kong: 2,517
4. Japan: 1,884
5. Singapore: 1,242
6. South Korea: 628
7. Saudi Arabia: 543
8. Brunei Darussalam: 304
9. Italy: 271
10. Turkey: 102

By occupation, the majority, or 5,493 Indonesian migrant workers, worked as caregivers. This was followed by 2,596 domestic workers and 1,841 plantation workers.

The Indonesian Migrant Workers Association (BP2MI) also recorded 397 complaints filed by migrant workers throughout January 2026.

The most common complaints concerned migrant workers seeking repatriation (127), followed by 39 complaints about failed departures, 24 complaints about social security issues, and 17 complaints about accidents.