RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia’s efforts to strengthen protection for its migrant workers received a boost as visa processing in Turkey began showing progress following system upgrades by the Turkish government.

The development was highlighted during a meeting between Deputy Minister for Migrant Worker Protection Christina Aryani and Turkey’s Minister of Labor and Social Security, Vedat Isikhan, at the Ministry of Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection (P2MI) office in South Jakarta on July 24.

Christina noted that as of July 2026, 10,627 Indonesian workers had successfully obtained visas. However, she emphasized that the figure still falls short of the more than 26,000 verified job orders, underscoring the need for further acceleration.

“We continue to evaluate visa issuance so that in the future the process can be prepared earlier and meet the demand on time,” she said, as quoted by Antara, on Saturday, July 25, 2026.

The meeting also advanced discussions on a forthcoming memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Indonesia and Turkey, which will be followed by a joint working group meeting to finalize an action plan. Beyond visa processing, Christina conveyed feedback from Turkish employers in the hospitality sector, who expressed the need for Indonesian workers to acquire basic Turkish language skills to improve communication.

While such training opportunities remain limited in Indonesia, Turkey has offered to support a 15-day intensive language program tailored for tourism and hospitality. Christina welcomed the initiative, noting its potential to enhance Indonesian workers’ competitiveness.

“With language skills, our workers will be better prepared to enter Turkey’s labor market and gain added value in the eyes of employers,” she concluded.

As Indonesia continues to negotiate technical details with Turkey, the collaboration reflects a broader commitment to ensuring migrant workers not only gain access to employment but also receive the skills and protections necessary to thrive abroad. ***