Labor Market Integration as a Solution for Refugee Crisis in Indonesia: Lesson learned from EU member cases and the implications for Indonesia

Abstract

Indonesia is one of the countries has been affected by the flow of global refugee. While Indonesia is not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol it has a long tradition of hosting refugees and asylum-seekers, and the Government has authorized UNHCR to help protect and find solutions for them. More than 14.000 refugees in Indonesia facing administrative action or punishment, including compulsory detention, fines and deportation. Moreover, being excluded from public services, including health care and education, and do not have any access to adequate housing. The government also prohibits refugees from working legally and they must fulfill their living needs independently. This becomes a problematic when the placement quota in the third country has decreased. The overall objective of this study was to identify refugee policies and practice implementing in Indonesia and using job access regulations for refugee as a potential option to handle refugee crisis in Indonesia. The OECD (2016) Labor Market Integration for Refugee and the experiences of EU member countries has been applying for refugee integration program in this study. There were ten fundamental principles and this study findings indicate that Indonesian government and related institutions should make data accuracy about the qualifications, work experience and skills of the refugees as the first step for labor integration program. Build on civil society to integrate refugee and humanitarian migrants is also mandatory. Integration program should facilitate labor market access for asylum seekers and refugee with high prospects of being allowed to stay.