JAKARTA - Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment, A. Muhaimin Iskandar, announced on February 24 that the government would no longer send workers abroad without at least a vocational or senior high school diploma.

Muhaimin made the remarks after a coordination meeting with P2MI Minister Mukhtarudin at the Kemenko PM office in Jakarta. “We do not want anyone below SMK or SMA level going abroad, because workers at lower education levels carry significantly higher risks, particularly of becoming domestic workers,” he said.

The policy, branded as the SMK Go Global program, targets Japan, South Korea, Europe, and the United States as priority destinations, with roles including welders, hospitality workers, and healthcare staff. 

“I and the Minister of Migrant Worker Protection will soon meet with ambassadors, both online and in person, regarding job market prospects and preparations for dispatching skilled workers, at minimum SMK and SMA graduates, to sectors that offer the greatest benefit to our workers,” Muhaimin said. 

The government is targeting between 300,000 and 500,000 skilled worker placements, with deployments expected to begin in June, July, and September 2026.

P2MI Minister Mukhtarudin, speaking at the same meeting, said remittances from Indonesian migrant workers reached Rp253 trillion in 2024 based on Bank Indonesia data, and are projected to rise a further 14% to around Rp288 trillion in 2025. 

That figure, while significant, represents roughly 1% of Indonesia's GDP. Mukhtarudin has previously noted that the Philippines recorded remittances of around Rp600 trillion in 2024, equivalent to approximately 30% of its GDP, driven by a structured migrant worker education system that begins at primary school level.

“With skilled workers, the opportunities are very good. Our job, particularly the Ministry of Migrant Worker Protection, is to facilitate that. President [Prabowo Subianto] is very supportive of ensuring our citizens who want to work abroad with good prospects are facilitated,” Muhaimin said.