President of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo was joined by South Korean President Moon Jae-in at a ceremony that took place at Changdeokgung Palace, Seoul, on September 10.
The event marked the opening of the Information System for Service and Protection of Indonesian Citizens Abroad, or Portal Peduli WNI. The online portal has been under development since 2015 with the Foreign Ministry at the helm, The Jakarta Post reported.
The system has already been in use in countries such as the UAE, USA, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia since early 2018.
Professor Zudan Arif Fakrulloh, Director-General of Population and Civil Registration, said the president was very pleased with the establishment of the new portal.
Its objective is to provide Indonesian citizens with a single comprehensive source of service and assistance via Indonesian consulates and embassies.
Using the unified online system that covers all Indonesian offices overseas, the Foreign Ministry, together with national data centers, will serve migrant Indonesians by issuing registration documents overseas.
Migrant worker welfare group Migrant CARE welcomes the portal and describes the move as a step forward in protecting migrant workers’ rights. Migrant CARE’s executive director Wahyu Susilo said Indonesian workers are sometimes seen as “second-class citizens” by Indonesian officials in other countries. The new online system is a step towards putting that right.