JAKARTA - Indonesia has begun formal steps to enter Italy’s foreign worker quota system and open placements to Malta and Cyprus, following a 27 March meeting between Migrant Worker Protection Minister Mukhtarudin and Ambassador Junimart Girsang in Jakarta. The government is seeking inclusion in Italy’s Decreto Flussi 2026–2028, which will admit about 497,550 non-EU workers. 

“Indonesia must be included in the official list of non-European Union sending countries,” Mukhtarudin said, saying that a bilateral MoU is now being accelerated to set quotas, recruitment rules and protections. “This MoU is very important because it will regulate… the mechanism of placement, number of quotas, qualifications, and legal and social protection.”

As an initial move, the ministry sent a formal diplomatic cable (brafaks) on 11 March 2026 to the Indonesian Embassy in Rome proposing cooperation on skilled worker mobility, especially in tourism and hospitality. Officials are also preparing pilot projects and a longer-term roadmap, while pointing to labour supply. 

“We have a very large and qualified workforce supply,” Mukhtarudin said, citing more than 108,000 tourism vocational graduates in 2025.

Beyond Italy, the embassy has engaged Maltese authorities, which are seeking to scale up hiring. “They really need workers in the hospitality sector, at least 400 people,” Junimart said after meeting Malta’s president. Cyprus is also being explored for healthcare and agriculture roles.

Italy’s Decreto Flussi is a quota system that determines how many non-EU workers can enter for jobs each year. 

The latest decree for 2026–2028, published on 15 October 2025, allocates about 497,550 work permits across sectors like tourism, agriculture, construction and manufacturing, covering seasonal, non-seasonal and self-employed workers. The quota is split into 164,850 in 2026, 165,850 in 2027, and 166,850 in 2028.

The system is employer-led, meaning workers must be hired and applied for by an Italian employer during fixed “click-day” windows. Priority is given to countries with migration agreements, and the scheme includes provisions like pre-departure training and limited special pathways.