JAKARTA -  Indonesia’s Ministry for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers said its Southeast Sulawesi office stopped the suspected illegal departure of a prospective migrant worker from Muna Barat Regency after she was allegedly recruited through a TikTok account called “Bunda Lina.”

The woman, identified by the initial Y, was allegedly promised work in Taiwan with an easier departure process. According to BP3MI Southeast Sulawesi, she had also signed a work contract with the head of PT Suma Berjaya Asri after documents suspected of being falsified were declared complete. 

The case was disclosed by BP3MI Southeast Sulawesi, the provincial Center for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers, in a ministry statement published on April 27. The rescue began after the head of BP3MI Central Sulawesi contacted La Ode Askar, acting head of BP3MI Southeast Sulawesi, on Thursday night, April 23, about a Muna Barat resident suspected of being sent to Taiwan illegally. 

BP3MI Southeast Sulawesi then contacted the worker’s family and carried out a field inspection on Friday, April 24, including coordination with PT Suma Berjaya, the placement company involved in the process.

“The prospective Indonesian migrant worker’s documents stated that she came from Subang, West Java. But field facts showed that she is a native resident of Muna Barat Regency, Southeast Sulawesi,” said Aswan, a BP3MI Southeast Sulawesi protection officer. 

BP3MI Southeast Sulawesi said the mismatch pointed to suspected falsification of origin documents. The office then asked the company to return Y to Kendari to prevent possible exploitation abroad.

Y arrived at Haluoleo Airport in Kendari on Sunday, April 26, where she was picked up by the BP3MI team and handed to La Ode Sagala, head of the Muna Barat Manpower and Transmigration Agency, for return to her home area. 

“Make sure departures go through official procedures and legitimate government channels. Do not sacrifice safety for instant promises with unclear legality,” Aswan said.

Taiwan remained Indonesia’s largest official migrant-worker destination in 2025, recording 89,960 Indonesian migrant worker placements to Taiwan last year, ahead of Hong Kong at 76,157 and Malaysia at 54,434. The dataset was last updated by the ministry’s Data and Information Center on February 12, 2026.