DILI 11 August 2022 (TATOLI) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (MoFAC) has collaborated with the Ministry of Finance (MoF) to arrange repatriation budget to return the seven Timorese workers who are temporarily staying at the Timor-Leste Embassy in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia.
“Our work on repatriation of these Timorese citizens is underway. So, we have communicated with MoF to arrange the repatriation budget to bring back these Timorese to Timor-Leste,” The Director for Consular Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (MoFAC), Hermínio da Silva Pinto told TATOLI, at his office, in Dili, today.
He said the Government, through the Timor-Leste’s Embassy in Jakarta covered the cost of living during their stay in Jakarta: “So, regarding our work on the repatriation of these seven Timorese citizens is underway. They will soon arrive in Timor-Leste.”
Pinto estimated that the repatriation of these Timorese people from Jakarta to Dili might cost up to US$15.000.
“The amount of this repatriation budget includes the flight tickets for our diplomatic officials who will accompany these citizens from Jakarta to Dili,” he added.
He said once MoF approved and allocated the repatriation budget, then MoFAC would reveal the fixed date of their return to Dili.
The seven Timorese citizens identified with the initials BS, ECdR, L, P, M, A, and A, departed for Dubai on 19 may without signing any labor contract agreement with the recruitment agency in Dubai.
After arriving in Dubai, the documents of these workers, including their passports were immediately seized and kept by the agency to prevent them from escaping their workplace. They had no choice but were forced to sleep on the floor.
In Dubai, they used to work every day from 9 am to 9 pm and earned only 200 Dirham which is equivalent to US$54.
With the support of the government of Timor-Leste, in early july, these female workers left Dubai for Jakarta after experiencing inhumane treatment by the recruitment agency.
Pinto said currently, MoFAC is also working on the repatriation of other 13 Timorese citizens who had been stuck in Germany.
“We have contacted our Ambassador to Brussels of Belgium to look after them as they also encountering financial difficulties to survive there,” he said.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges
