Stella Maris Batam marked World Migrants Sunday with a seminar titled “Walking and Nurturing Hope with Migrants, Seafarers, and Their Families” at the Pacific Hotel Ballroom in Indonesia, drawing over 1,000 participants from government agencies, labor unions, employers, and human rights institutions. Father Ansensius Guntur (Fr. Yance), Director of Stella Maris Batam, highlighted the essential role of migrant workers and seafarers in the national economy and called for stronger protection for them and their families. Government representatives, including the National Commission on Human Rights and the Ministry of Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers, stressed the need for better systems of protection, starting from the village level, to prevent exploitation and ensure rights are upheld.
Discussions also focused on challenges faced by migrant workers, particularly in fisheries and onshore sectors, where cases of lost equipment, poor communication on ships, and unfair treatment by employers were reported. Stakeholders emphasized the importance of collaboration among unions, companies, and government institutions to address these issues. Recent efforts include shutting down illegal recruitment agencies and prioritizing authorized ones to safeguard worker welfare. Union leaders and entrepreneurs agreed that sustained commitment and clearer regulations are vital to improve protections, especially for the more than 23,000 workers in the fisheries sector, whose contributions are central to Indonesia’s economy but who remain vulnerable without stronger support.