Reconstruction of Recruitment Fee Regulations to Prevent Debt Bondage and Forced Labor Against Indonesian Migrant Workers

Dohar Nosib Wira Warman Nainggolan

Abstract


The imposition of placement fees on Indonesian Migrant Workers may create debt before employment and increase the risk of forced labor, particularly when such fees are transferred through cooperation agreements, financing facilities, loans, or wage deductions. This study aims to analyze the weaknesses of Article 3 of the Regulation of the Minister for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers/Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Agency Number 17 of 2025 in preventing debt bondage and forced labor, as well as to formulate a reconstruction of placement fee allocation based on the Employer Pays Principle. This study applies a normative legal research method using statutory and conceptual approaches. Legal materials are analyzed qualitatively through grammatical, systematic, and teleological interpretation. The findings show that Article 3 provides exceptions that allow placement fees to be transferred to workers based on the law of the destination country, international law, inter-state agreements, or cooperation agreements. This provision weakens the prohibition on the imposition of placement fees as regulated in Article 30 of Law Number 18 of 2017. The reconstruction is directed toward affirming that all placement fees and recruitment-related costs shall be the responsibility of employers or recruiters, including the prohibition of fee transfer through debt-based financing and salary deductions.

Keywords


Human Rights, Legal Studies

Full Text:

PDF

References


Journals:

Adila Nursani et al., Tindakan Kekerasan terhadap Pekerja Migran Indonesia Perempuan: Faktor Penyebab, Bentuk Kekerasan, dan Strategi Penanggulangannya, Majelis: Jurnal Hukum Indonesia, Vol. 3, No. 1, 2026.

Ahmad Mubarak Munir et al., Penguatan Pemahaman Calon Pekerja Migran terhadap Kebijakan Zero Cost dalam Proses Perekrutan Pekerja Sektor Perkebunan Sawit di Lombok Timur, Jurnal Pepadu, Vol. 6, No. 4, 2025.

Andika Wahab, Implementing Ethical Recruitment of Migrant Workers: Evidence from the Palm Oil Sector in Malaysia, Otoritas: Jurnal Ilmu Pemerintahan, Vol. 10, No. 1, 2020.

Ayu Triana et al., Perlindungan Hukum Pekerja Migran Indonesia Sektor Informal atas Pembebanan Biaya Penempatan oleh Perusahaan Penempatan Pekerja Migran Indonesia, Pagaruyuang Law Journal, Vol. 9, No. 1, 2025.

Bassina Farbenblum, Governance of Migrant Worker Recruitment: A Rights-Based Framework for Countries of Origin, Asian Journal of International Law, Vol. 7, No. 1, 2017.

Berkat Anugrah Kurunia Situmorang et al., Perlindungan Hukum terhadap Pekerja Migran Indonesia Informal Menurut Undang-Undang Nomor 18 Tahun 2017 tentang Perlindungan Pekerja Migran, Jurnal Ilmiah Metadata, Vol. 3, No. 2, 2021.

Dewi Asri Puannandini et al., Kesejahteraan Pekerja sebagai Upaya Perlindungan Hak Asasi Manusia, Jurnal Media Akademik (JMA), Vol. 3, No. 7, 2025.

Henny Natasha Rosalina and Lazarus Tri Setyawanta, Perlindungan Hukum terhadap Pekerja Migran Sektor Informal dalam Perspektif Teori Bekerjanya Hukum di Masyarakat, Jurnal Pembangunan Hukum Indonesia, Vol. 2, No. 2, 2020.

Heru Herdiman et al., Kepastian Hukum Pembiayaan dalam Upaya Penempatan Pekerja Migran Indonesia di Luar Negeri, Corpus Juris: Jurnal Ilmu Hukum, Vol. 2, No. 1, 2026.

Karinina Anggita Farrisqi and Farid Pribadi, Perlindungan Hak Penyandang Disabilitas untuk Memperoleh Pekerjaan dan Penghidupan yang Layak, Focus: Jurnal Pekerjaan Sosial, Vol. 4, No. 2, 2021.

Musrin et al., Analisis Yuridis Perlindungan Hukum terhadap Tenaga Kerja Indonesia Ditinjau dari Undang-Undang Nomor 18 Tahun 2017 tentang Perlindungan Pekerja Migran Indonesia, Jurnal Syntax Fusion, Vol. 2, No. 12, 2022.

Qowi Dzulfarhad, Perlindungan Hukum Pekerja Migran Indonesia terhadap Biaya Penempatan Berlebih (Over Charging) oleh Perusahaan Penempatan Pekerja Migran Indonesia, Jurist-Diction, Vol. 5, No. 1, 2022.

Ranti Roezalia Sekti and Evi Kongres, Kekosongan Hukum dalam Penentuan Pembiayaan Penempatan Pekerja Migran Indonesia, Jurnal Hukum Magnum Opus, Vol. 5, No. 1, 2022.

Sri Warjiyati et al., Benturan Norma dalam Implementasi Asas Lex Superior Derogat Legi Inferiori, Jurnal Reformasi Hukum, Vol. 28, No. 3, 2024.

Yonika Dani Nugraheni and Labib Muttaqin, Limitations on the Types of Position of Migrant Workers Who Get Placement Fee Waiver Review from the Principle of Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers, Jurnal Penelitian Ilmu-Ilmu Sosial, Vol. 3, No. 2, 2022.

Books:

Graziano Battistella et al., 2011, Protecting Filipino Transnational Domestic Workers: Government Regulations and Their Outcomes, Philippine Institute for Development Studies, Discussion Paper Series No. 2011-2012.

International Labour Organization dan ASEAN Secretariat, 2023, Research on Migrant Workers’ Rights-Based Standard Employment Contract for Domestic Work in ASEAN, ILO and ASEAN Secretariat, Jakarta.

International Labour Organization, 2019, General Principles and Operational Guidelines for Fair Recruitment and Definition of Recruitment Fees and Related Costs, International Labour Office, Geneva.

International Labour Organization, 2024, Recruitment Fees and Related Costs at A Glance, International Labour Office, Geneva.

Regulation:

Ministry for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers/Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Agency, 2026, Ministry for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers Takes Firm Action: Four Private Placement Agencies (P3MI) Proven to Have Violated Indonesian Migrant Worker Placement Regulations, https://kp2mi.go.id/index.php/berita-detail/kementerian-p2mi-tindak-tegas-empat-p3mi-terbukti-langgar-aturan-penempatan-pekerja-migran-indonesia.


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Proceedings of Legal International Conference and Studies has been indexed in:

    

 

 

 

ISSN: 2986-4089