Peran UPT P2TK dalam Penanganan Kasus Pemalsuan Identitas Pekerja Migran Indonesia di Arab Saudi 2026

Abstract

The increased mobility of Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI) to Saudi Arabia following the lifting of the moratorium has given rise to complex legal protection issues, notably the phenomenon of identity falsification. The case of Lia Sana (Wastitik) exemplifies this structural vulnerability. This qualitative case study aims to analyze the role of the East Java Technical Implementation Unit for Migrant Worker Protection (UPT P2TK) in addressing PMI identity falsification cases through a Multi-Level Governance (MLG) framework. Primary data were obtained from interviews with relevant officials and official correspondence, while secondary data were sourced from academic journals and BP2MI reports. The findings indicate that UPT P2TK acts as a facilitator and an initial verification point within a coordination network involving BP2MI (at the national level) and the Indonesian Embassy in Riyadh (at the international level), in accordance with the mandate of Law No. 18 of 2017. However, the effectiveness of UPT P2TK’s direct interventions is constrained by the workers' non-procedural status, Saudi Arabia's domestic regulations, and the dominance of the *Kafala* system. The study concludes that optimal protection for Indonesian migrant workers relies heavily on strengthening the quality of coordination across government levels and on the political commitment of the destination country. proficiency and adaptation to the Japanese work culture.