From Remittance to Risk: A Gendered Analysis of Indonesian Migrant Workers' Socioeconomic Realities

Migration has been a trend for decades, even centuries, for various reasons, with the main motive being achieving better lives socially and economically. Many countries have sent their citizens to work abroad to earn foreign exchange and to overcome unemployment. Indonesian migrant workers are recognized as foreign exchange heroes in the national economy. They have contributed approximately 10% of the national foreign exchange and have alleviated their families’ poverty by sending money. Paradoxically, they are still suffering from precarious conditions while living abroad. This study explored Indonesian migrant workers’ efforts and experiences as illegal migrants in the United States of America and Australia. Data came from personal experiences studying and living in Columbus, Ohio, and being a visiting scholar in Australia, as well as WhatsApp groups, news, books, and journals. The research showed that being a non-procedural (as the euphemism of illegal) migrant worker required several efforts, such as maintaining good stamina, personal connections, and funding. Experiences of deportation threat, embarrassment, and even discrimination were encountered by foreign exchange heroes.