Efforts of the Kepulauan Meranti Regency Government in Addressing Irregular Indonesian Migrant Workers Bound for Malaysia

Abstract

Kepulauan Meranti Regency is located in Riau Province and shares a direct border with Malaysia across the Malacca Strait. A high incidence of poverty, reaching 23.15%, combined with a low average length of schooling of 8.12 years and limited employment opportunities, has driven the local population toward irregular migration to Malaysia. This study aims to analyze the efforts of the Kepulauan Meranti Regency Government in addressing Irregular Indonesian Migrant Workers bound for Malaysia, as well as to identify the push and pull factors underlying such migration. This research employs a qualitative method, with data collected through in-depth interviews, literature review, and documentation study. The analytical framework applied comprises the liberal perspective, International Migration Theory, and Law No. 18 of 2017, with the regency government treated throughout as a subnational actor operating under delegated, partial authority. The findings indicate that the push factors comprise structural poverty, low levels of education and skill, and limited formal employment opportunities, while the pull factors comprise wage disparity, high demand for informal labor in Malaysia, geographic proximity, and cultural similarity. The local government's efforts comprise safe-migration socialization, skills training, data collection on Indonesian Migrant Workers (IMW), and post-return reintegration programs; however, these efforts have not been implemented effectively, as evidenced by the persistently high number of irregular migrant workers originating from Kepulauan Meranti.