Financial Literacy for Migrant Workers

The problems of migrant workers are endless. This time we are stunned by cases of scams and murder among them.

KOMPAS/ERIKA KURNIA

Two female migrant workers, Aslem (in green) and Hana, victims of money-making fraud by the Wowon gang, spoke to journalists at Polda Metro Jaya, Jakarta, Thursday (26/1/2023) evening.

A female migrant worker named Hana has reported that she is a victim of deception by Wowon Erawan’s gang from Cianjur, West Java. Hana was almost killed as she returned home from Saudi Arabia at the end of 2022. Hana is one of 11 fraud victims being probed by the police as a result of the transactions history in the savings account of Wowon’s gang.

The perpetrators deceived the victims into believing that they could multiply money with a certain trick. The victims were asked to meet with them and bring along some money, then they practiced the money-multiplication trick in envelopes. Thereafter, the victims were asked to transfer money routinely for the collection of its results later. More than that, the perpetrators also persuaded the victims to invite other migrant workers to join them (Kompas, 27/1/2023). To date, apart from the deception victims, nine victims have been found murdered, allegedly by the three perpetrators.

Also read:

> Vulnerable Migrant Workers Become Victims

> ‘Toll Road’ for Non-procedural Migrant Workers

We are deeply concerned over this incident. Migrant workers who have been working hard for their families and also contributing foreign exchange to the state have now fallen prey to very wicked people. They have large sums of money and are very important to their families. Not only robbed of their money, they were also deprived of their lives.

Money multiplication was the method of the perpetrators. Their offer was very enticing. Within a brief moment the value of the money could be multiplied. We are even more concerned because such cases are recurring. People are all too easily lured by offers of money or investments with very high returns within a short time.

DOK BURUH MIGRAN CERDAS

Entrepreneurial learning activities followed by Indonesian migrant workers in Hong Kong. Migrant workers are invited by the Smart Migrant Workers community initiated by Tri Sumiyatik Suradi alias Zoplo to spend their Sunday holiday by learning entrepreneurship materials and various skills classes.

We are once again reminded of the necessity of providing financial literacy for everyone, particularly for migrant workers. These workers need more attention because they hold large sums of money and are an easy target for criminals. So far, financial institutions have focused more on remittances than on migrant workers. The time has come for them, and also the financial authorities, to address their financial literacy.

Through embassies, financial institutions, agents and also the financial authorities, we should start improving literacy for migrant workers. In simple language, literacy is expected to be taught to migrant workers. It certainly begins with money management, followed by the risks to be faced when holding money, suspicious investment offers, as well as the further step of making investments after serving as migrant workers.

The protection of migrant workers should include financial matters as well as the legal and physical protections already provided so far. Migrant workers of course want to return home with a feeling of pride and security.

This article was translated by Aris Prawira.