Coordinating Minister Calls for Integrated Anti‑Trafficking Efforts

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Djamari Chaniago emphasized that efforts to combat human trafficking must be integrated, highlighting early detection and national data integration as key to preventing victim recruitment.

The National Police recorded 385 human trafficking cases across Indonesia in 2025. Law enforcement efforts continued, with 98 cases documented from January to August 19, 2026.

Minister Djamari underscored the importance of clearly defining operational duties within the human trafficking prevention task force. “This forum is crucial to ensure that the task force’s operations do not stop at a mere administrative division of duties, but instead produce measurable and actionable steps,” he said in a written statement on Wednesday, September 9, 2026.

He also stressed the need to monitor digital channels, which criminal networks frequently exploit to recruit victims. Some Indonesian citizens have been lured into working for overseas online scam syndicates.

“Therefore, our primary challenge is not only how many cases we successfully prosecute, but also how the state can prevent recruitment, detect victims early, dismantle networks, cut off their funding, provide protection, and ensure that victims can return and reintegrate socially and economically,” he stated.

Minister Djamari recommended establishing a unified national database that relevant agencies can access securely. The integrated system is intended to map departure routes and identify perpetrators.

“Looking ahead, I recommend several measures, including developing an interoperable national human trafficking database that ministries and agencies can use while strictly upholding personal data protection and victim confidentiality,” he said.

Minister of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection, Arifah Fauzi, emphasized the need to optimize the use of primary human trafficking data. She said the data should guide the formulation of victim protection policies at both central and regional levels.

“Human trafficking should be prioritized in the programs of ministries, agencies, and local governments. Such measures are essential to strengthening prevention efforts and protecting victims,” Minister Arifah said.

Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Cultural Affairs, Pratikno, highlighted the increasingly sophisticated modus operandi of human trafficking crimes.

He said the involvement of the Ministry of Communication and Digital (Komdigi) is crucial in designing the government’s response mechanism. “The methods are becoming more sophisticated, so we must be equally sophisticated in formulating policies and designing response mechanisms for human trafficking issues. Komdigi’s role is vital in this regard,” Minister Pratikno stated.

He also encouraged creating a unified public information dashboard to raise awareness about online scams. Periodic monitoring is being intensified to accelerate victim identification and support comprehensive recovery.

“Unified data is important--ideally, a complete dashboard. It’s not just about having the data, but also enabling the public to recognize scams related to human trafficking,” he said.

Inter‑ministerial synergy is expected to permanently sever the funding chains of human trafficking networks. Following the evacuation process, the government’s primary focus is the socio‑economic recovery of victims. (Misni Parjiati)